#and that security guard at his house is useless too

[taehyungfirst]

I’ve been trying to think about what to say for some hours because even though Taehyung came online and comforted us I still feel uneasy.

I’m frustrated because I don’t understand how Bh (now with Hybe the biggest company in the industry) can be so useless in defending their artists.

Back in 2020, Sojang was spreading hate on a youtube channel and Bh ignored it even tho their stuff always got lots of views and she only got sued by a small ass company who went out of their way to sue internationally and find a way to finally close that channel.

Then, we have Gurumi that started a two years long hate campaign in which Bh basically was watching and quietly laughing because he was left alone for MONTHS (even tho that shit appeared on national television). We had to beg and send emails every single day for months for them to finally take actions.

Now this freak that apparently has a PAST of stalking Tae and no one thought of starting to take some measures against her before she could do something worse, but only got arrested when she entered the safety of Taehyung’s home… entred the ELEVATOR with him and invaded his personal space. I don’t think some of you understand how terrifying all of this is.

I’m just so mad because we are all helpless and he should get the protection he deserves. It’s heartbreaking to see him come online comforting us, he’s truly an angel I pray for his safety every single day.

[arafilez]

ENOUGH FOR ME ㅤㅤㅤ☆ ㅤ —﹙ M.JH ﹚

WHEN ㅤ,ㅤ jaehyun finds you blaming yourself for not trying hard enough !

���ㅤ ᶻzㅤ( x reader ) 𓂃 ㅤ angst fluff f2l ㅤ oneshotㅤ warnings kiss, crying ㅤ⋆ ( 1.5k wc ) ㅤ❟❟ㅤ library ㅤ bnd shelfㅤ navi

The drizzle hits your body as you sit quietly in the backyard of your house. The rain increases lightly as you let it soak your clothes not caring a lot anyway. To be out at two in the night in the dark wasn’t something you would usually do but you knew your house is well-guarded.

With university looming around the corner you feel the reality slowly come back. One gap year and it was useless. You are supposed to be the talented child of the family. The one that excelled in everything, and you were, you were that child. Until you weren’t anymore.

“Hey loser, why are you out in the rain?” a whisper sends you out of your trance and you thank everything in the universe for not shrieking as you see the similar puppy-eyes over your fence.

“Myung Jaehyun are you out of your mind?” you whisper-shout all worries leaving your mind for a moment as it focuses on the boy half-hanging in between his and your house fences.

“Only for you baby,” he winks making you roll your eyes. Your neighbour and best friend who is currently hanging on a fence, soaking in rain and can only see a bit in the distant street light can apparently still make time to flirt.

“Would you shut up and get lost? Why are you even here at this time of the night?” You retort, quite panicked at the fact that if he jumps on either side he will be hurt. Not to mention the noise will be a lot and both of your parents will wake up. He signals you towards him making you reluctantly walk towards him cringing at the sound your shoes are making on the wet ground.

“Okay, now when I jump you will hold me!” Jaehyun proposes, ignoring your question, making you stop in your tracks and deadpan, “Absolutely not! We will both fall.” Jaehyun ignores you purposely not even letting you complete the sentence saying, “Think fast!”

“What?” you panic but he is already jumping down as you frantically try to hold him. As soon as his feet hit the ground you slip and fall but he holds you quickly, securing his arm around your waist. A smirk appears on his face as soon as he holds you from falling and he says, “See you didn’t fall on the ground,” a beat of silence passes as you stare at him, hyper-aware of the proximity before he adds, “You just fell for me!”

“For fuck’s sake,” you murmur under your breath, pushing yourself off him as he silently giggles. You sit down on the back-stairs again but Jaehyun pushes you lightly forcefully making a place for him too.

“Why are you sad?” he whispers lightly as you explain everything to him. At other times you would try to refute first, but it was the dead of the night, the rain felt cold and your sleep was catching up with you. You were tired, very tired, emotionally and physically. So you ranted everything to him, slowly finding yourself telling things you have only ever told yourself within the four walls of your room.

Your parents weren’t happy with the above ninety per cent in your annual exams, you could have tried more. You didn’t try enough. You took a gap year to do better results in the university entrance exam only to end up not getting in your desired one.

And as soon as you faced the fact you were hit with another from everyone in your family, “You didn’t try hard enough.” Your parents told you again, how you are basking in self-satisfaction of trying hard enough.

“But I did try hard,” you choke and look down adding, “Just because I didn’t get in, doesn’t mean I didn’t try hard.” You felt bad now, for being self-satisfied even, but you were. You did try. And you were happy. But now it feels like a luxury to be happy.

A tear rolls down your cheek as soon as Jaehyun takes you in his embrace. Maybe it was everything, the long night, the fact that your parents have to pay a lot of fees which could have been reduced if you had studied harder, or just the fact that not a single person believes in you.

Not a single person told you that it is okay. Not a single person told you that you did try hard enough and that it is okay to fail once.

“How many times have you failed?” Jaehyun holds you by your shoulder as a slow tear rolls down your cheek and you sniff, “This time.” Jaehyun pads your cheeks with his soaked shirt as he looks at you and softly replies, “Not even once, sure you had your downs but you made it up in the most important exam.”

Your slow sniffles get washed away as the rain hardens but Jaehyun keeps talking, “And you did not even fail this time, you weren’t in the top ranks, that isn’t failing.”

“It is just, am I selfish Jae? Am I selfish for thinking I did try enough? Am I really basking in self-satisfaction? Can’t I be happy with my results for once? I know I tried a lot,” your voice becomes smaller with each word in the sentence and his heart pangs at how sad and depressed you seem. You were the brightest and happiest person he had ever seen but now he can’t help but wonder. Is that all a mask to hide this?

“You are not selfish, at all. You can be happy, you deserve to be happy and I know you tried hard,” he speaks up, eyes roaming all over your face. Now that his eyes have adjusted to the dark he can see it all, the tear-stained face, the puffy cheeks, red eyes and swollen lips. Another pang hits his heart as he presses his hands to your cheeks and whispers, “Why are you torturing yourself like this?”

“Do you know how much money my parents have to pay for my fees now?” your lips quiver at the mere thought and all thoughts of being the useless child come back to you but Jaehyun is faster as he holds your face and makes you face him.

“Your life isn’t over, you can study, and then pay them back, I know you feel bad, but you are just starting university, I know you will make them proud one day,” Jaehyun says as you stare at him, tears blurring your eyes.

Maybe it was the high of the night, or the fact that you kept everything bottled up for so long or the fact Jaehyun’s touch felt so soft and reassuring but you found yourself liking the night for once. You could see the boy who crossed a fence in the dead of the night for you even though he was soaked and comforting you and for once you felt you were important to someone.

Someone cared for you. Not your academics and your wins.

“I like you, Jaehyun,” you blurt and cover your mouth in shock. This was definitely not how you wanted to confess, not that you had ever decided to confess anyway but Jaehyun holds your hand and presses a soft peck on your wet lips saying, “Good, I like you too.” If his heart was beating out of his ribcage he hid it really well.

Your cheeks feel warm at his loving stare and you gasp as he smiles softly and you do it too feeling a lot better than before. It was weird and sweet at the same time but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Trust yourself, know that you did well, and even if everyone is against you just believe in yourself, you are by your side,” he pauses, holds your hand and a moment of silence falls before he adds, “And me too. I am by your side forever too.”

“Thanks, Jae,” you sniffle making him coo in adoration and he dabs his wet sleeves under your cheeks and giggles saying, “Now no more crying and only sleeping.” You salute him mockingly making him break into a silent laugh and when you see his scrunched face under the low light that makes him look ethereal you can’t help but feel happy too.

As he gets ready to climb the fence he turns around and says, “And also remember two other things, one, this,” he presses his lips to yours and you stumble a little but kiss him back with fervour. His hands travel down, gripping your waist as he presses your body to yours and you run your hands trying to untangle his messy and wet hair. Raindrops fall down your lips, getting in your kiss and accentuating his taste and you wish you could live in that moment forever.

As you break, you take a deep breath, biting your lips slowly loving the aftertaste and a slow, giddy smile takes over his face as his voice is hoarse when he says, “And two, remember to rub the ground with your shoe, we don’t want footprints now, do we?”

ARA'S NOTES ㅤ,ㅤ i am back with another self-indulgent fic lmaoo but also i am so sorry for being here with late fics, uni is uni-ing hard T~T !

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@slytherinshua @gong-fourz @emmylksblog @hursheys

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[st-kitten]

707

next chapter →

WARNINGS: (m.) masturbation, nicknames (baby, babygirl, good girl, princess, pretty girl) little megumi being painstakingly adorable

life as a single father trying to make ends meet was hard for toji fushiguro. his job as a security guard for some company didn't pay much. whatever he earned went into bills, rent, and groceries, leaving next to nothing for him to save or even spend. how he wished there was a simpler way to earn. he'd be exhausted by the time he came home and crashed, only to be woken up by megumi. as much as he loved the kid, getting him ready for school and out the door was harder than an mma fight.

all the babysitters he hired were useless. most of them agreed just to get into his pants so, when they found out that they were hired 'because' he couldn't be home, they left in disappointment.

toji never relied on his neighbours either. partially because they were too old or kids themselves, with parents who also hired babysitters. the closest anyone ever came to being a candidate was his next door neighbour, you.

but he vowed to never approach you. even if it meant leaving megumi to cry midday, over a glass of spilled milk. why?

[flashback]

toji had just helped megumi catch the school bus. waving him goodbye, he went back inside the building. the days got colder each passing day, which meant that he was going to have to repair the broken heater and buy some warm clothes. how ever was he going to afford it in time?

collecting the mail, he stood in the temporary warmth of the elevator, yawning. he really wanted to go back to sleep. his work began at 10 am, so he still had two hours, maybe he could take a nap. or fix that heater himself.

he stood in front of his apartment, looking through his pockets for the keys when he heard muffled noises from the apartment next door. he had only seen you once, when he accidentally took your mail instead of his and had to give it back to you. you always seemed distant and cold, so hearing you softly, yet loudly screaming a series of "yes! yes! keep doing that!" at 8 am made him wonder what the fuck was wrong with you.

he let it slide. people had lives.

but you didn't stop there. when toji came back from his work at night, holding a bag of vegetables, he heard you again.

"oh god! yes!"

and two days later when toji brought megumi home early as he got sick in school, "just like that, baby!" he had to keep babbling random trivia to his son so that he wouldn't hear you. how many times is she going to do this?

when it was toji's day off, and he was taking a nap on the couch, he heard you moaning again. it wasn't that loud, but the single wall between your apartment and his did a terrible job at muffling it. toji was glad that megumi was at school.

[back in present time]

months had passed by and he was still not used to hearing you. he'd forgotten what you looked like, so he didn't recognise you whenever you passed by him or even when you were in the elevator with him. all he knew was that he hated you for being so disturbing.

the day he was dreading finally came when he wanted someone to look after megumi for the night as he had to cover someone's shift, and not a single person was available. with an ale tankard of reluctance, he rang the doorbell, truly expecting you to open it naked, some angry fucker peeking from behind 'cause he didn't get to finish...

so when you opened the door looking the complete opposite; wearing loose sweatpants, a barbie hoodie, house slippers and your hair tied in a messy bun, half a banana dangling in your mouth... toji held back a sigh of relief.

"hey... i'm toji, i live next door," he said, trying to sound sincere.

"i mow woo yooah," you said, chewing the banana quickly, and swallowed it.

"right... listen, i gotta cover an extra shift and i need someone to look after this brat for the night."

you held back a laugh upon hearing him refer to his son like that. you'd only seen megumi from a distance. but, you had no reason to refuse.

"sure! i'd be happy to!"

toji was still unsure about this, but there was no backing out now.

"cool. i'll send him in twenty minutes." toji vanished before you could say anything else. you chuckled to yourself. for a man of his size and built, he sure was a chicken when it came to communication.

you cleaned your living room before he could come back. your place was kid-friendly enough. you made sure you prep the kitchen in case he hadn't had dinner.

your doorbell rang and you scurried to open it.

"here's a list of things you'll have to do... he's... a little tough. but he's a good kid."

you took the list and gave it a brief look and nodded.

"alright, megs, you're gonna be staying with this lady today. i'll be back soo-"

megumi began tugging his father's pants grumpily, upset at his words.

"don't be like that, kid..." toji sighed. he didn't like to exhibit his personal life in front of others.

"please? i'll get you ice cream."

megumi's ears perked upon hearing ice cream. "chocolate?" he cooed.

"yes. now go inside."

clutching a tattered dog plushie (with two heads for some reason), he stepped inside your apartment, looking down.

toji knelt down to meet his eyes. straightening megumi's sweater, he said, "i'll be back tomorrow morning. behave, okay?" megumi nodded, almost on the verge of crying. you held back the 'awwws'.

"alright... i'm trusting you. don't f- mess it up," said toji, looking at you with a glare.

"i won't..." you just smiled solemnly. you'd say the same if you were in his position.

toji wanted to tell you to not have sex for that one night, but he chose not to add fuel to the fire. who was he to tell you not to fuck? if anything, he was mildly jealous that you got to enjoy it so much.

toji left and you turned back to megumi, who was standing in your living room, anxious to move a muscle.

you sighed. "hello, megumi. i'm y/n." you crouched down and held out your hand to him. he hesitated before holding three of your fingers and shaking them. you smiled.

"sorry about this... you don't know me at all and now you're stuck with me. must be weird."

megumi stayed silent. you got up and went to the kitchen, which was open and visible from your living room easily. you opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of chocolate milk that you'd gotten free with something.

"would you like some?" you shook the carton. megumi loved chocolate in any form. not wanting to sound too excited or desperate, he gave a curt nod. you poured him a cup of milk and handed it to him.

"you can sit down wherever you want."

megumi scanned the room and spotted a bean bag. he'd never seen one. he looked at you and then back at it.

"you wanna sit there? sure!" you placed a hand on his head and led him to the corner. you held his cup for him while he tried to sit. he immediately sank into the bean bag, hearing the sound of tiny malleable balls that shifted as he sat down. megumi's eyes widened as he tried not to bolt out of there. when he was settled down, he found it pretty comfortable. he liked how he could stretch his legs and sit at the same time.

"comfy, right?" you said, handing him his cup of chocolate milk. the way he held it with both hands made you want to scream in a pillow. no way that asscrack of a man was his father.

you went over the list once more. it was simple. bedtime was 9 PM, no allergies, likes sweet food, but easily gets a sugar rush, etc. you laughed at the numerous spelling mistakes in it.

"so, what do you like to do?" you asked, sitting down on the floor in front of him.

megumi didn't like talking to babysitters. mostly because they never paid attention to him. he didn't like how they bossed him around. or how they got mad when he asked them if they could play with him. so he would stay silent. nobody ever asked him what he liked to do, so your question caught him by surprise.

he thought about it. what did he like to do?

"paint..."

"you paint?" you asked. you always liked the idea of kids drawing and painting.

megumi nodded. he was obsessed with a box of paints his father had bought him ages ago. the paints were long dried and over. but he still dipped his brush into them, watering them and painting with whatever colour came out of it.

you didn't have paints or brushes that he could use... but an idea struck you and you wondered whether he'd like it.

"wanna paint my room?" you suddenly said.

megumi's eyes lit up with curiosity. won't your walls get damaged? what if he spilled paint on the floor? or on you?

"the walls in my room are sad and empty. i have some paint cans that the painters forgot about when i was renovating. there are some colours still left. what do you say?"

megumi nodded. you got up and went into your room, searching for a shirt you give him as overalls. you pulled out the paint cans from under your bed. you took an old shirt of yours and brought it to him in the living room.

megumi had finished drinking his milk, so he thought he'd keep the cup back. hearing you call his name startled him and he dropped the cup, watching it shatter into pieces. he tensed up and felt his eyes water. you were going to scold him, punish him, maybe even hit him. he deserved it. he broke your cup.

"oh my, are you okay?" you rushed to his side, crouching and checking him for wounds.

"sorry... sorr-" megumi tried his best not to cry. he was expecting an earful at any moment now.

"why?" it was all you asked.

megumi looked at you in shock.

"cup..."

you chuckled sympathetically. "so? cups break all the time."

"i break cup..."

you stood up, unsure of how to convince him that he did nothing wrong.

"okay... you broke the cup." there it was. you were angry. megumi was going to get scolded.

instead, he watched you pick another cup from the shelf. you took the cup, and angling it far from megumi, you threw it.

"and i broke a cup too. guess we're both clumsy..." you shrugged and picked up the pieces, swiping the rest with a broom and tossing them in the garbage.

megumi didn't know what to say. had he really done nothing wrong? it was just a cup... yeah, just a cup.

"come, let's paint my room," you held out your hand to him. slowly, he grabbed it, walking behind you towards your room. your hands were soft and warm. and you didn't pull him or drag him. instead you were walking slower just for him. why were you so kind?

you brought him to your room and asked him to help you spread newspapers on the floor. then you handed him a shirt, helping him put it on since it was huge for him. he looked like a penguin.

"megumi... please, i'll give you more chocolate milk, but can i please take your picture? you're too cute," you asked, clutching your heart.

megumi blushed and nodded, looking away.

you clicked at least twenty pictures of him in your shirt, holding a thick paintbrush, standing on newspaper barefoot. you made a mental note to send these to toji.

"alright, pick your colours."

megumi carefully scanned each colour. then he looked at you. he didn't want to mess up this opportunity. it wasn't every day that he got to paint a wall instead of paper. he wanted to make sure you'd like it.

you seemed the type of person who would appear stern, but on the inside, you were really soft and caring. like a marshmallow. he wanted the room to suit you. being the observant kid, he looked around the room and learned that you liked necklaces, most of which looked like fancy saturns (iykyk). you also liked flowers as there were vases on your nightstand, windowsill and some were on your bookshelves. you also had a lot of books. what really caught megumi's attention was that you had three guitars hung on the wall. your room was totally your personality. he knew what he wanted to paint.

megumi pointed to a few colours and you handed him a few brushes of different sizes. he dipped one in red paint and began painting a few strokes on the wall (only after glancing back at you a hundred times in case you changed your mind). you sat on the bed, watching him focus. he was definitely smarter than kids his age. you admired him.

after a while, you left the room, telling him that you were going to make dinner. curry rice got an approval from him, so you occupied yourself in the kitchen, humming to yourself. you wondered what all he had painted in your absence. you didn't really care about the wall; you only hoped he'd feel safe enough to be a child.

you finished cooking and plated the food, setting on the kitchen island you used as a dining table. you pulled a chair and stacked some couch pillows on it, increasing the height of the seat. you called to megumi, but he didn't answer.

you stepped into the room to call him for dinner again, but no words came from your mouth as you stared at your wall, awestruck.

megumi had painted so many flowers and vines that ran across your wall in different colours. he'd even mixed a few colours and created new ones. he drew the saturn orbs matching your jewellery in the center of some flowers. though he could only paint a part of it and couldn't reach higher, the wall looked full of life.

"megumi..."

he looked at you, anxious to hear what you had to say.

you stood behind him, admiring the wall.

"you made my wall magical. this is so beautiful!"

megumi had a tiny smile on his face.

"you're an artist, gumi" you said, ruffling his hair, and he blushed at the nickname you gave him. nobody ever gave him a nickname apart from his father. people would often forget his name.

he felt his chest swell with pride and happiness. he did a good job.

"let's put fairy lights on the wall!" you chirped and he nodded.

you helped him out of his shirt, tossing it into the laundry basket. you sat him down on the high chair and you both sat down for dinner. megumi liked the food. but he truly loved how you let him be himself without bossing him around. it finally dawned on him that he had broken your cup, painted your wall, and was eating your food and you had absolutely no problem with it. he felt himself breathe freely.

after dinner, he helped you clean the room and stick fairy lights all across your room. you went overboard with it, but when you switched them on and lay on the bed watching them twinkle, it felt worth it.

"we did a good job, today." you gave him a high five.

megumi yawned and you took it as a sign to prep him for bed. toji forgot to give you his toothbrush, so you tore him a new one. you wouldn't dare let a child sleep in the living room, so you tucked him in your bed. you were so glad you bought that expensive comforter because seeing megumi snuggle into it turned your eyes into beating hearts.

upon his request, you tucked in his ominous dog plushie with him and bid him goodnight. megumi fell asleep easily, snoring softly. you made rounds to the room to check on him and felt your heart melt every time. he was definitely an active sleeper. his positions would get bizarre every time and you'd pull the comforter on him properly each time.

you finally slept on your couch around midnight.

toji didn't sleep a wink. the world's most boring job had him awake all night, opening gates for rich snobs who partied and returned to the semi-residential building at odd hours.

the only thing on his mind was megumi. he prayed that you weren't fucking someone with him in the house. he wondered if he'd eaten. he wondered if he was asleep right now. he hoped you gave him his demon dog to sleep with.

when dawn broke, he was out of there. he drove his dying truck straight to the parking and dashed out of the car. he decided to grab his and your mail, just so he'd have an extra excuse to knock on your door.

he didn't bother asking you for a key. he just yanked open the letterbox and it easily came into his hand. he grabbed whatever was in it.

"did you hear apartment 707? so loud.... that too in the morning"

"how could i not? but, im not surprised..."

toji heard two ladies gossip, waiting for the elevator. 707... his apartment was 706, so it had to be you. he was going to murder you.

he sped in and out of the elevator, rushing to your place. expecting to hear the sound of sex, he stopped in his tracks... you were not having sex? your door was conveniently ajar and toji spotted a few empty cans of paint outside.

he opened the door, peeking in, only to see... his adorable five year old son, jumping around and dancing with you to a christmas song, decorating a large tree in your living room. (christmas tree farm by the one and only... blondie)

if toji could explain how much he wanted to giggle at the sight, he would. but he only watched the two of you, leaning against the doorframe, hands folded, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

"where every wish comes true!!!" you sang, hanging the ornaments miscellaneously. megumi poked your leg and you picked him up, helping him tie a bell around a branch.

you swayed and danced to the beat with megumi on your shoulders, who laughed loudly.

toji felt his heart melt upon hearing his son laugh. he hadn't heard that sound in a long time.

he looked around and spotted a plate of half-eaten pancakes and glasses of milk. did you drink milk with him? he held back a laugh.

as you turned around, you spotted toji and nearly threw yourself in the tree.

"dad!" megumi chirped, happy to see his father. toji took it as an invitation to come inside. seeing megumi almost as tall as him, he chuckled and looked him in the eye.

"here's your ice cream, stinky," he said, holding a bag full of ice cream cups.

megumi giggled.

toji smiled widely and you sobbed at how cute the kid was. you placed him down and he ran to his father, clinging to his knee. you took the ice cream bag from toji and placed it on the kitchen counter taking the contents out.

[next song: under the tree by sam palladio]

you handed megumi a cup of chocolate ice cream and the uselessly small wooden spoon that came with it.

"which one do you want?" you asked toji who had yawned at least a dozen times by now.

"anything is fine."

you tossed him the pinkest strawberry ice cream cup. he rolled his eyes, but began eating it anyway. you sat next to him on the couch. megumi insisted on sitting under the tree, on the tree-skirt, looking up at the lights and the ornaments from below.

"oh! look!" you said, pulling your phone out to show toji pictures of little megumi in an oversized shirt holding a paintbrush.

"what's this?" toji asked. though his kid looked cute, he still didn't know what happened when he was away.

"yeah, he painted my wall," you replied.

"HE WHAT?" toji asked, surprised. megumi never misbehaved. but i guess he finally snapped.

"yeah! it's so beautiful, i can't stop staring at it," you began mumbling.

this kid ruined your walls and you're happy about it? he thought you'd scold him.

"come, i'll show you," you signalled him to follow you and toji did, worried about the mess his son had made.

he also did not want to see your room, given that he'd heard you have sex plenty of times for it to etch in his mind like a song that just doesn't fucking leave.

he was not expecting for your room to be so... pleasant and unsuspecting. you had a queen-sized bed with fluffy pillows, plants in the room, some equipment on the desk. hell, instead of sex, it smelled like coconut.

you showed him the art megumi had blessed your wall with.

"he's great at painting!"

toji's eyes widened at the intricate designs on the wall. had megumi really painted this? was he this good at it?

"it's... good..." toji didn't know what to say. he felt really sad that his son was capable of something so great and yet toji couldn't do more for him.

you smiled, somehow understanding what he was feeling. it was the same thing you felt about yourself when you realised your love for music.

toji asked you to send him the pictures and you complied. he looked around your room in silence, not knowing what to do. but he decided to address the former elephant in the room.

"can i ask you something?"

"sure," you said, looking down at your phone.

"i don't have the right to pry in your personal life, but... next time you have someone over, keep it down? i don't want megumi to hear... that..."

"huh?"

"you know... what you and your boyfriend do..."

"i don't have one?"

"then whoever you bring home to fuck... just please, keep the volume low," said toji impatiently.

"i didn't bring any... oh, you heard that!" you said as it dawned on you.

"yeah, whatever that is..." toji wanted to hide his face. it felt like giving a child 'the talk'. and you weren't that old too...

"toji..." you called, holding back your laugh. he wondered what was so funny.

"i'm not having sex in here. what you've been hearing..." you almost held it back... "was me recording for quinn."

"huh?"

you sighed as you explained, "it's an app for people who like listening to spicy stories... i'm one of their narrators... i try to pick times when people are busy or not here... but oh my god, i'm so sorry you had to hear that..." you said with a laugh, grabbing his arm apologetically.

toji digested every word you said.

"why on earth would you do that?"

"it pays really well, you know..." you shrugged.

now you had toji's attention. "you get paid for speaking dirty?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"and narrating, reading lines, moaning, whimpering, shouting... the works."

"that's an odd job..." he commented. it truly was. he had no idea things like these existed.

"i'm a singer by profession, so this is just a side hustle. my room is soundproof so i can't hear outside noises, but sadly..."

"you're not ashamed?"

"why would i be? it's great that people like it. you should try listening to some."

"please, no," toji held his palm out to her. he heard you chuckle. "aren't you worried that people might find out about you?"

"of course i don't use my real name."

toji shook his head in disbelief.

"i know you're ancient, but try it someday. who knows, you might end up liking it," you said, showing him the app on your phone.

toji stared at you with a blank face. he wasn't that behind the times, was he? he snuck a glance at your screen, his eyes falling on your username in a corner. embarrassed, he swatted your hand away and you chucked.

"anyway, thanks for looking after my kid." toji got up and left your room as you trotted behind him.

"anytime!"

toji left with megumi, after thanking you once more and making his kid do the same. megumi had definitely enjoyed he spent with you. he wished he could do it again.

a few days passed by and megumi started to become more interactive with you, waving at you, telling about his day when you rode the elevator together, giving you some small sketches he made after you gave him a sketchbook and some colour pencils.

toji still hadn't warmed up to you, but he wasn't as dismissive as he used to be. in fact, he had gotten slightly curious about you. you lived a quiet life, or so it seemed on the outside. but he knew what you did and how unbothered you were about it.

why would people pay to listen to strangers moaning? it seemed bizarre to him. he tried to ignore it.

he was stuck on another night shift, leaving megumi with you. he was glad that his son didn't mind you. and you'd proven to be a capable babysitter. yet, all he wanted was to be near his son. home. the night couldn't get over any sooner.

toji sat in the booth provided to him, watching the streets. nights when people came and went by were just as boring as when nobody showed up. he contemplated taking a nap, but the last thing he wanted was to be fired for slacking off. especially when the night shift paid him a bit more.

he turned side to side in the swivel chair, groaning in frustration. so far, he'd watched eight mma matches on his phone, cussing at how pathetic they were. nothing entertained him enough to keep him awake.

that thing embedded in his subconscious mind suddenly resurfaced, making him gulp in guilt. he could do it. it's not like she'll know... as if he was being watched, toji switched the light off in his booth and discreetly took his phone out, lowering the brightness and pulling out a tangled pair of earphones, and plugged them in. he downloaded that app, signing in with a random email he'd created ages ago.

[mention; compromised: victoria pedretti, on quinn]

he remembered her username and typed it in. not wanting to dwell too much on it, he clicked on the first 'story' he saw. he didn't read the description. he had no idea what he was to expect. thankfully, the audio started with some context. he instantly recognised your voice. based on what he understood in the first few minutes of the introductory chapter, it was a story about an agent watching over the witness she was supposed to protect. he realised that it was a woman x woman story. not that he minded. he just enjoyed listening to your voice. you surely had a singer's voice.

the more he listened, the more engrossed he was in the plot.

"i can stay on the line, sure..." you said, as your character stood below a hotel, at a distance, watching the woman you were on the phone with, from the window, keeping an eye out.

"you're not wearing anything underneath... i might not be the only person watching, you know," you chuckled. your laugh sounded better all over, probably due to the recording quality. toji paid attention to everything he heard.

"...tell me where you're touching...does it feel good?"

"i wanna see your other hand on your breast..."

"do you want me in that room?" your voice was laced with quick breaths...

"now i'm gonna hang up...no, not to touch myself... I don't care that you're close!"

toji sighed in exasperation, truly engrossed in the story.

"wait, shit, there is a man... fuck i think he's armed..."

toji had never clicked on 'next' that fast in his life. okay, he was hooked. when he first heard about this from you, he thought it was just audio-porn. he didn't expect a full on story with a plot, internal monologue, the background noises. it was as if it was happening around him.

the next chapter had you grunt and scream as you fought some attacker. how on earth did she record this shit? was she also fighting in the apartment? he smirked, realising what a double life she was leading.

"i saw that smirk, don't get any ideas..." you said coincidentally and toji had to look around him for a moment.

"you're very, very distracting..." your voice seemed closer whenever the background music got fainter. maybe it was the mic or some technical tweaking. but it really sounded like you were speaking in his ear.

your pants were now mixed with small laughs. it sounded blissful.

"don't ever be sorry for kissing me..." toji was surprisingly okay with hearing sounds of you kissing, probably another woman.

"oh, these lips... can i? touch them? fuck..." you moaned slightly... and then laughed. "did you just bite my thumb? you're so bad... i might have to punish you."

toji had to grasp his phone tightly as heard you make out, hearing your breaths mingled with the sounds of your lips moving against someone else's. you sounded so different, so confident.

"you like that, don't you? me on my knees... touching you, licking you, tasting you..."

fuck

toji knew you were saying this to a woman, but he couldn't help picturing himself in her place. your hums, whimpers, breaths, they were all elevating his senses. he felt his pants tighten.

"yes, fuck..."

"i love your neck..." you panted. toji raised his head, gulping.

"you're so hot... fuck... me..." your moans had started to get louder, breathier.

"what if i don't wanna hurry? what if... i wanna make you beg for it?" toji instinctively let his hand wander down his body, to his pants. he loosened his belt. he slid his pants and boxers down just enough for his dick to spring out, harder than he expected it to be. your constant moans, whimpers and dirty words became music to his ears as he stroked his cock slowly.

"tell me how good it feels..."

toji groaned, quickening his speed, his eyes closed, his mind visualising your face. he imagined you doing everything he heard you do on the phone. touching him, licking him, tasting him... he fisted his cock to the sounds of your sweet voice, shamelessly.

"so good..." he hissed, as if to answer you, gliding his fist up and down his thick veiny cock, its tip glistening proudly.

"come for me, yes! yes! yes! fuuuuck..." you moan loudly, dragging the last word, breathing shakily.

"god..." toji gave up any restraint he had and let his cock burst like a dam, spoiling his pants.

he was high. high on your voice, your moans, your words. he wished he could experience it for the first time again.

a shrieking honk from the gate snapped toji back into reality. he zipped back up in a hurry, shoving his half-hard cock in his pants. he tied a jacket around his waist to hide it and scurried out of the booth to open the gate.

toji came home early in the morning, feeling floaty. he couldn't forget last night's events. not when you were right there. next door. probably recording the next one. toji didn't know how he was to face you, but he was damn sure about hearing you again.

and hear you he did. for days. he was finding the plot interesting too. but he was addicted to your voice. how were you so confident? how did you manage to record the perfect moans. did you have help? did you get off just to get a good audio? all these questions plagued toji's mind. he really wanted to ask you about it.

but how was he to do it without sounding like a creep? or worse, a pervert? but then again, you did tell him about it yourself.

so, when he had to collect megumi from your house after coming back, he came up with the simplest excuse.

"see you later, gumi!" you ruffled his hair, watching him run to his father, who told him to go inside and wait for him.

before you could shut the door, he shoved his foot inside. "hey, uh... i had a question."

"come in..." you moved aside.

you were hungry, but didn't have the time to buy groceries. so, instant ramen it was...

toji followed you to the kitchen, rehearsing the imminent conversation in his head.

"what's wrong?" you asked, looking at his tensed brow.

"i'm a little starved for cash. megumi's birthday is coming and i want to give that urchin something good this time."

"awww..."

"you uh..." was he really going to ask that? would she even listen? "you were talking about that..."

you on the other hand, knew exactly what he wanted to talk about. so many of your friends had tried to do that same. the fact that toji was considering doing that made the composer in you mildly excited.

"you want to earn cash on quinn, am i right?"

toji's head shot up, looking at you, slightly horrified and ready to get his ass kicked out the door.

"alright."

"wait, what?"

"i'll help you... sell your voice."

"are you serious?"

"do i look like i'm joking?"

"would i even... be able to... you know..."

you leaned on the kitchen island, looking at toji, who had sat down in a chair across from you.

"just do it..."

"you expect me to do it just like that?" he asked.

"what, like it's hard?" you snorted.

toji just looked at you blankly. "you mean, you do it just like that?"

"women are expert at faking it, you know?" you smirked.

toji scoffed in disbelief, rolling his eyes.

wickedly, you began panting, whimpering, opening your mouth as lewd moans spilled out of you. you gripped the edge of the kitchen island, and whined, "yes! toji! just like that!"

toji felt like he'd been shot in the head... both his heads... he felt a bulge in his pants. hearing you moan and actually seeing you moan were two different things. the way your eyes shut tight, brow creased, mouth opened and chest heaved, toji couldn't take his eyes of you.

you saw his reaction through squinted eyes and stopped, reverting to your normal self, scratching the back of your head, completely unbothered.

"so yes, toji... just like that..." you said, without the moans this time.

toji gulped.

"so, do you wanna record a demo? i can send it to my agent. if she likes it, she'll ask you to record a proper script."

toji sighed... what was he getting into? he didn't actually imagine himself doing it. would it be embarrassing? no, fuck it. he could really use the extra cash.

"no one can know," he said sternly.

"you can use a pseudonym. you can literally put an emoji as your name."

"whatever. as long as nobody can trace it back to me."

"i guarantee you they won't. let's send an anonymous demo, 'kay?"

"fine. but, i don't know how to do this shit. it's too... fucking dumb."

you chuckled. "it is. dumb and fun. but doesn't it make you feel... like a king, knowing that the world gets off to your voice?"

toji scoffed and smirked. oh, how he wished she knew that he had been getting off to her voice nearly every damn night, palming his dick, picturing you saying all those dirty things to him.

he followed you to your bedroom where you had set up your mic, your laptop, you desk, under a labyrinth of wires and cables. he was made to sit in the chair facing the mic. the fuck am i doing...

you tapped on your laptop, leaning forward on the desk. toji's hammering anxiety took a break when he realised how close you were. your tits were practically in his face. he'd only ever seen you in baggy clothing, so this was a pleasant surprise. they were big. but they'd easily fit in his hands. he was a little disgusted by the fact that he was severely attracted to you.

"okay... what would you like to say?"

"i don't know..."

"what are your go-to swear words?"

"uh... fuck?"

"and?"

"i don't swear because of my kid... so, i don't know... this is difficult, y/n..."

"what do you have to fear?"

she was right. what was he to lose? to fear? nothing. he knew how hot was. he knew ladies threw themselves at him. he knew his sex appeal was impeccable. so then why was this so difficult?

oh, he knew why. you. it was because of you. the way he'd listened to your moans all week, stealing glances at you whenever he saw you, and now that he was in your bedroom with you...

fuck that! this bitch just faked an orgasm in front of me without a problem. i can at least spit out a few sentences.

"how do you start?"

"well, i usually have a script and there's good enough build up."

"so, give me one of your scripts."

"really? you wanna say, 'touch my pussy'?"

"fuck no. ugh, this is frustrating," he groaned loudly, leaning back and running his hands through his hair.

"hey, wait, that's good!"

"huh?"

"say it again."

"this... is frustrating?"

"tojiiiii," you rolled your eyes and smacked his arm. "say it like you did before. with the groan and all."

"i can't just do it on command."

"do you want me to leave you here alone with a gravure magazine then?"

toji's narrowed his eyes at her. "you read those?"

"no, but, you get the point."

toji sighed. you thought of another way to get him riled up. if a sexy audio wasn't gonna happen, then an angry one it was... there were plenty of angsty stories in demand. you clicked on record without him knowing.

"stop acting like a virgin, toji," you said and he shot you a glare. you let your mouth run a marathon, "no, for real, you're a grown ass man with a nice, deep voice. you look like you'd be pissed off if someone so much as looks at you wrong. or worse, if someone tries to mess with your son-"

"watch your mouth," toji growled, grabbing your jaw with his fingers, pressing it tightly.

"or what?"

"or you regret ever letting me in this house. that kid fucking loves you. you keep him out of this. do not... ever use him... to use me," he snarled.

you pressed the spacebar to stop recording. toji pulled his hand back, putting two and two together.

"that... was something."

"i mean it."

"sorry... but damn, angry toji... is sexy..." you commented.

"yeah? you like that?" toji said with a smirk. you squealed, regretting not recording that.

"SAY THAT AGAIN." you began recording again.

toji let out a deep chuckle. "you want me to say that again, pretty girl?" oh, he was starting to get into it.

you nodded.

"beg for it..." toji whispered, slightly closer to the mic. he watched you hold back another squeal.

"use your words, baby."

you were almost jumping up and down at how good he sounded. you really wanted to use his voice. you figured your agent would ignore yours and focus on his.

you exhaled, "please, please say it again!"

"hmm..." toji's baritone voice reverberated in the mic. "that doesn't sound so convincing, princess..."

you banged the air above the desk, pursing your lips and grinned.

"please please please! i'll do anything!"

oh, toji was starting to see the fun in it. "anything, you say..."

"yes! whatever you say!" you too were blending well with him.

"get on your knees then, baby..." he said brusquely.

your jaw dropped, morphing into a wide smile as you silently cheered him. toji found your reactions entertaining. true, you'd been doing this longer than him, so you were probably used to hearing all that. you were genuinely enjoying him.

you gave him a thumbs up and he made his closing statement, making sure to murmur, "good girl..."

you stopped recording and grabbed toji by his shoulders, shaking him. "AAARRRRGGGH. you are a natural!!!!!"

toji smirked. that was oddly easy to do. mostly because you helped him into it.

"well, i'm not one to brag..."

"no, please brag."

"heh. do you think your agent will like it?"

"she will eat it. she will want to become it."

"how much do you make exactly?" he asked.

"i had to do a lot of small freebies until i got my big break. i made [good amount] per episode. i've done three stories, each with two to three chapters. im working on a fourth one... so it's incomplete."

that must have been the one toji had listened to the first time. he did click the first thing he saw. he'd been replaying the first three episodes over and over, coming undone to them. but now that you'd said there were more...

"that's actually very..."

"rich, right? i was surprised too."

"so, you're gonna send it to your agent now?"

"yep. she'll like it. under what name do you want it?"

toji thought about it. he couldn't have this traced back to him. not with megumi's life at risk. it had to be something entirely random. yet meaningful...

"how about... 707?"

you grinned. that was a smart pseudonym. "done."

"well... tell me how it goes. and once again... not a word about this in public. what happens in this room, stays in this room," he warned you.

"WAIT SAY THAT AGAIN!"

toji chuckled as he stood up to leave and rejoin his son. before he did, he inched closer to you and whispered in your ear, "beg for it, babygirl."

you groaned and flapped your hands, fanning yourself. "you're so good at this!"

you'd sent that clip to your agent and got a response from her a few days later. to say the least, you were surprised by her request.

so, you stood at toji's door, phone in hand. he opened it.

"'sup?"

"it's my agent."

toji shut the door behind him, not wanting megumi to hear anything.

"what'd she say?"

you simply held out your phone and the text she sent you.

'WHO IS THAT?' 'GIRL LOCK THAT MAN IN THE BASEMENT' 'he's got the job if he wants it. i just got a killer script! the only condition is'

toji raised an eyebrow at the last message.

'you both have to do it together'

[tawneybel]

Get Stuffed: Chapter 1

Note: “The killer John Carver aka Eric Newlon from thanksgiving movie 2023 is a DILF. Do some x readers of him whenever you get the time to see the movie.” Also posted on AO3. There’s bad dark humor and mention of male anal.

Imagine Sheriff Newlon kidnapping you, but not because he’s out for revenge.

So the Carver’s a cat person, you thought, after just missing your neighbor’s murder. The killer patted Dewey, who nonchalantly ate dry food, while Manny’s body lay a couple yards away, open neck spewing blood all over the floor. 

Out of habit, you’d immediately locked the door behind you. With a murderer on the loose, it had seemed like a safe choice. As a security guard, Manny would have approved. As a corpse, Manny would remain unmoved. And have to settle for being the most useless warning ever. 

John Carver straightened up. You readied the spare key in your fist, behind your back. He could probably guess what you were doing, but he hadn’t rushed you yet. Lizzie McMullan’s lower half had been displayed way up on the RightMart sign. Manny was headless. The killer was clearly determined and seemed to have a game plan. You were a surprise. And you could be a bombshell. 

“Didn’t anyone tell you Americans don’t celebrate Guy Fawkes Day?”

A chuckle escaped from beneath the mask. Nobody moved. Except Dewey, who had almost finished dinner. 

“Where’s the head?”

The Carver indicated a black bag on the table. Out of reflex, you looked. Gave him an opening. 

You felt the prick on your neckline before locking eyes. Or trying to, because John Carver was blatantly ogling your breast. Or maybe just the dart sticking out right above your girls. Hopefully. 

Then he rushed you, to catch your bountiful form before it slumped to the floor. 

“I was supposed to be kittysitting,” you said after waking up in the John Carver House. Like Sheriff Newlon needed an explanation. Of course, you didn’t know your location or his identity. 

It was just cute you felt the need to explain why were at that fuck’s place. Eric had been stalking his targets for almost a year. If you were sleeping with that failure of a security guard, he’d have known. It wouldn’t have kept him from “rescuing” you, though.

He felt zero guilt about seducing Amanda away from Mitch. Got a thrill out of it, even. Like how he got a thrill about thinking how horrified the other guests would be to see ______ ______ get some extra stuffing. If he’d pulled a Ghostface, maybe you’d get some sloppy seconds.

Looking through your phone, he found you were a slasher fangirl. Perfect. Eric wanted you to get off. 

He and Amanda never got around to any roleplay. Again, the thrill of the affair kept them both sated. And the bun in the oven. Speaking of which…

You gazed, dazed, down at your chest. There was a Band-Aid over the entry point. Even with cranberry sauce shimmering on a stove, you could smell rubbing alcohol. You wanted to rub the blurriness from your eyes, but your arms were restrained. Why would the Carver bother disinfecting and dressing a victim’s wound? Particularly such a small one?

At least you were completely dressed. For now. 

Wait, no, you realized, blinking rapidly. No socks, no shoes. Just your little piggies wriggling. Painted piggies. The color suited you, even in the dim kitchen. Newlon smiled, before returning to stirring.  

Where did you put my boots? 

You hoped there wasn’t any broken glass or nails or anything. In case you actually managed to get free. A free bird. Now it was your turn to chuckle. Your captor slyly glanced over, taking in your bare toes and jiggling chest. Soon. Just needed to get the other bird in the oven first. 

“Hey, my bra!” 

Rock hard underneath your top, all you could do was curl your toes in embarrassment. Even though John Carver was the one who had apparently gotten a glimpse of your nipples. It wasn’t too cold, wherever you were, yet they felt like they could cut diamonds. 

How long was I out? 

Instead of filling you with shame, the thought of the Carver playing with your chest got you a bit hot and bothered. He could’ve taken those black gloves off to get a couple handfuls. It was a longshot, but maybe they could dust for prints. If only there was a way to escape. 

At least he didn’t use twine. Or piano wire, you thought with a shudder, turning away from him. Or- Oh my God. 

Finding himself just a bit too distracted by those cute tits, Sheriff Newlon decided to get to work. As he made his way to Kathleen, he took a moment to run a gloved digit up one sole, then down the other. Your bound form mimicked a hypnic jerk while he continued to the other prep table. Subjecting another woman to his per/versions and touching you while you’re conscious? Just how long were you tranquilized, anyway? 

Now you were mad. “Did you take my panties, too? Huh?”

He ignored you whilst brushing Kathleen’s feet with oil. Kathleen, who was either out of it or pretending to be. You couldn’t blame her. But you had to turn the Carver’s attention back to you. Somehow. 

“Your toes are curling again.”

“In distaste!” you spat. 

“Jealous? Don’t be.” 

He was obviously enjoying whatever this was. Yet, aside from teasing you, it didn’t seem sexual. Not that I like where this is going any better, you thought, spotting the chopped veggies circling Kathleen’s body. 

“Not into food play,” you muttered. Louder, “You’re, you’re going to splooge into my socks later? Aren’t you?” 

That’s when you noticed the large industrial oven. Preheating or already preheated. The heat could be felt even from where you lay. You needed to cook up a better distraction and quick. 

“It could be worse,” he said. 

“Why?” Turkey thigh.

“You could be wearing poultry frills.” 

“What?” Turkey butt. 

“Like in those old cartoons.” He snapped his fingers. “Kathleen would look so funny in those.”

“You would look so funny with a meat thermometer up your ass.”

It was the best you could come up with. Cringe, maybe, but the severity of the situation was weighing on you. That, and the unwanted arousal. Sweat that had little to do with the oven’s warmth dripped down your sides. 

Even from behind the mask, his body language suggested the Carver hadn’t considered butt play. 

He chuckled. “Maybe with an actual rectal thermometer.” Turning away, he added, “You and I can focus on stuffing later.”  

Eric really was enjoying your presence. You were saucier than he’d expected. It could have just been the sedative, but he didn’t think so. He knew the mouthy kind. Always had to have a  comeback, even when backed into a corner. You had a mouth on you, and he was going to put it to good use. 

Whatever he’d planned for you, it wasn’t going to be anywhere near as grisly as what he had done and was planning to do to others. The Carver wanted to have his way with you. And you had a nagging suspicion it wasn’t going to be puritanical. That unorthodox parts would be played with. Namely, your feet and his asshole. It shouldn’t be surprising that a masked killer was kinkier than most. 

Pilgrim, you amended. The actual John Carver was a Pilgrim, not a Puritan.

Under your breath, “Soles are in jeopardy.” 

Now unconscious Kathleen was having a handful of salt sprinkled on her face. The Carver, growing wise to your ways, rested a hand on your thigh before you could pipe up.

“Jealous, again?”

“What, that you’re getting your rocks-?”

“Huh. I was going to ad lib something about salt-”

“-on her face,” you said together. The Carver hadn’t ceased seasoning Kathleen; a salt shaker was being employed on the rest of her. Which was gussied up in mock Pilgrimess attire. Dress too short to be considered historically accurate. 

“She’s the main course, but you’re the centerfol- centerpiece.” 

It was clear you were horny. Both of you were horny. Kathleen was thankful neither the weird girl nor the serial killer knew she was awake. ______ ______ might not even care. You would be no help. That she was sure of. Or, rather, Kathleen thought, you could be a distraction, your voice dripping with honey. Ugh. You were freaky. Even if you were more interested in getting spatchcocked than escaping, Kathleen supposed some gratitude was due. She wasn’t going to give thanks until she got the hell out, though. 

Eric knew the heat (and the boner) were getting to him, because he really wanted to show you his face. This was tiring. He didn’t want his first time with you to be next to one of his revenge victims. At least, not an alive one. But he could edge himself a bit longer. Make you anticipate something really kinky.  

Horror, horniness, and heroism were duking it out inside you. Instincts were telling you to either be submissive, in order to make it out alive. And get bred. (Not to be mistaken with “get breaded,” which might’ve been on the table for Kathleen had this been another holiday.) Or be submissive, in order to help Kathleen. How was she still out? 

Holding the bottle of Mydayis, Sheriff Newlon almost scoffed. If only he had fertility pills, not just dextroamphetamine. He hadn’t expected to be so charmed. John Carver mask resting on top of the oven, Eric popped a handful. Moments later he admired his reflection, particularly the singed outline around his left eye hole. If he played his cards right, you would be leaving his ass/hole burnt like that later.  

Your nasty slasher kink… Surely you’d like it if he kept the mask on, right?

While Eric pondered that, you thought back to poor Manny. At least Dewey had fresh meat until someone came to check up on his owner. 

[john-get-the-salt]

Soothing (w/rick grimes)

Imagine: Ever since the world went to shit, your anxiety levels have been through the roof. Turns out there's only one thing, or rather one family, that can help ease your stress.

Contains: domestic rick, baby judith, reader being referred to with fem titles, no appearance of Carl sorry just imagine he’s off doing dumb shit

Warnings: none

Relax, you made it home!

You glared down at the doormat as you shoved a key inside the lock and opened the front door. The house you shared with the Grimes family was quaint, with lots of terrible quotes stitched onto pillows and corny sayings carved into wood and hung on walls. The decor remained untouched, exactly the same as the day you moved in.

But, you thought as you let yourself into the house, it might be time to burn that stupid doormat. It didn’t matter how long you spent in Alexandria–you would not be relaxing. Last time you made the mistake of letting your guard down the world taught you a lesson in the form of a psychotic governor. You wouldn’t be making that mistake twice.

Alexandria had been a much needed reprieve, but you hadn’t forgotten the years spent out in the wild. The months spent constantly moving, in search of food and water and any sense of safety. Living with anxiety and fear every day for such an extended period of time left you permanently on edge. So yes, while Alexandria was certainly nice, you weren’t holding your breath. After all….you’d all thought the prison was secure too.

You shook your head to get rid of the the sudden flashing images and memories that came up at the mere thought of the prison. If you let yourself go down that path now you’d be useless for the rest of the day.

As you mentally scolded yourself for becoming distracted, you walked further into the house and then up the stairs to the second floor. You’d come in for a very specific reason. It was Rick’s turn to take a shift on the wall and you wanted to offer to cover it for him. He seemed extra tired lately, and you worried to death he was stretching himself too thin.

However when you got to the landing at the top of the stairs, you froze. A soft voice was coming from one of the bedrooms, and after a moment you recognized it as Rick’s. You stepped closer, avoiding the floorboards you’d learned were creaky, and peaked into the room.

Rick was sitting in a rocking chair with Judith in his lap. He was showing her pictures and talking to her softly.

"This is Carl. He's your big brother."

Judith spit out a bit of jibberish as she grabbed the picture of her brother in her little fist and shook it aggressively. You held a hand over your mouth in an attempt to hide your giggles as Rick tried to gently pry it from her fingers. He finally did, and moved on to the next picture.

He showed her a picture of himself, and Judith pointed from the picture to him. "Daaa," she squeaked, clapping her hands.

Rick's smile was so big it could've outshone the stars, and your heart melted at the adorable sight in front of you. You were about to leave them in peace, dead set on taking his wall shift now, when Rick spoke up again and caught your attention.

"And last but not least..." He trailed off and curiosity got the best of you so you peeked further in.

Rick was showing Judith a picture of you.

The picture was of you, sitting a table with a giant bowl in front of you and a big smile on your face. It was a simple picture, but it had such a meaningful story attached to it.

Last season, around the time you guessed was your birthday, Rick surprised you with a giant ice cream sundae. Sundaes had come up during random pillow talk one night as one of the random things about pre-apocalypse you missed. You thought it was rather silly, but Rick did not. He made you the ice cream with Carol's ice cream maker and bartered with the neighbors to get some of your favorite toppings. It meant so much to you.

Judith pointed at the picture, giggling, and said, "Ma."

For a split second your heart stopped and you could barely breathe.

Rick stopped rocking and looked down at his happy daughter as she reached for your picture, desperate to get her hands on it.

"That's right, Judith. That’s your Mama."

Your eyes began watering and you couldn’t hold back as you sniffed. Rick looked up at the noise, and his eyes softened even more once he spotted you.

You stepped into the room and Judith finally noticed you, smile growing as she got excited and reached her arms out toward you.

"Hi Judith," you cooed.

Rick stood from the rocking chair and you met them, taking your sweet girl into your arms. She didn’t hesitate to bury her face into your neck, murmuring in her special language that no one else could understand.

And just like that, you could feel some of your own anxiety leave you. The tension in your shoulders eased, face smoothing of frown lines. Your entire body sagged with a sudden wave of exhaustion. You leaned into Rick and he didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around you and Judith before pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you look peaceful in a while,” Rick murmured quietly, careful not to disturb Judith who had already closed her eyes in the comfort of your arms.

“It’s been bad lately,” you said truthfully. Since the very first time you and Rick discussed being a couple you vowed to always be honest with each other. And that included being honest about your feelings-both good and bad.

Rick knew you didn’t need him to push, you would share more when you were ready. He just continue to hold you tightly.

You allowed your eyes to close, not an easy feat, but in Rick’s arms you felt loved and comfortable and safe.

The romantic moment was broken up when Judith stirred on your shoulder and then Rick was letting out a wince.

You opened your eyes to find her with one of Rick’s curls in her hand as she pulled on it eagerly.

The two of you chuckled as Judith showed off a toothy grin.

Rick rested his forehead against yours and you took this moment to just bask in being with part of your family.

"I love you," he said softly.

"I love you too."

You would do anything for this dysfunctional little family of yours.

Anything.

[50cal-fullauto-astarion]

König HCs

Because why not lads. These are some of my personal ones regarding the lore I’ve put together for him. TW: untreated mental illness, childhood neglect, burn injuries, surgical trauma. Uh, some other shit, too, probably. Idfk reader beweader you’re in for a sceader.

Bro has BPD. It covers a lot of the beloved fanon interpretation of him being clingy and hot/cold and scared of being left. He’s got Fear Of Abandonment Syndrome, and he’s like 10% more likely to make a fucky wucky on himself and end up sleeping in the forever box.

Source: I have it and my baby girl only gets the best of the worst from me.

H a t e s d o c t o r s. And hospitals, and surgical procedures, and anything of the like. He’s probably already got more health issues than a blue blood racehorse just from his sheer size alone - prone to heart issues and musculoskeletal strain - but there’s no way on god’s green earth that he hasn’t been through a handful of major procedures because he’s diagnosed with human knife block and bullet sponge disorders respectively.

Sub-point A: born with a cleft palette and lip. Palette was corrected, has a turned second incisor as a result. Lip was botched. Pulled a pot of boiling sugar off a stove and burnt a big-ass portion of his face, neck, chest, and stomach. Multiple painful reconstructive and corrective surgeries to deal with keloid scarring.

Sub-point B: psychology might help OTHER people, but HE is built DIFFERENT. He’s not crazy, you see, and if you suggest otherwise you’ll suddenly develop a case of Backpfeifengesicht and he’ll provide the violence. DBT? That’s Dick and Ball Torture, babey.

Despite this, he lies through his teeth at psych evals. He knows the “right” answers, and he is not going to get his livelihood taken away from him, even if it’s not exactly what he wanted. If he’s answering for his own actions, he can swerve and intuit what thing will calm things down the most and get him the smallest punishment.

Developed most of his wheedling skills as a kid, parents were neglectful as shit. Mostly disregarded him during his upbringing. Youngest of three, an eldest sister and a brother. Not in contact with any of them.

He’s 34. I don’t know if I’ve accepted him being a Colonel into my heart as my lord and savior, I’m still figuring that one out until there’s more concrete canon material besides a loading screen.

Grew up in a hoarder house of apathy, alcoholism, and depression and it was DISGUSTING. Black mold, water damage, trash everywhere, travel lanes carved through the most useless fucking junk. His parents bred Doberman dogs to sell as guard/security dogs, and some lived in the house, adding to the filth and destruction. He can’t stand a dirty house, and as an adult has an insane cleaning routine. Often stress cleans. You could eat off his bathroom floors.

He Does Not Like Dogs. Period. He especially hates Dobermans. He doesn’t like dog breeders worth a fuck either, good or bad.

Did not have any sort of media or anything as a kid. Parents didn’t spend money on tech or pop culture stuff, they were kind of stuck 30 years behind everyone else. His parents were older when he was born, he was very unplanned and not particularly warmly welcomed. Kept himself entertained out in the boonies, did a lot of reading, learned to juggle, learned to juggle knives. Had a big brokedown half-draft horse to take the kennel dogs on longer walks in the country, horsebacked a lot.

Soon as he was in the army, away from his family home, and living on his own, he got his first cell phone and computer and pretty much started living on the internet. He’s self taught in a couple of programming languages, very tech literate, halfway kind of lives on Reddit (narrowly swerved getting redpilled, thank fuck) on his personal time, and built his own PC set up. Built one for Horangi, too, and gives Stiletto advice on her own build when she asks for it.

H E H A T E S K L A U S

Bc I said so, everyone I love hates Klaus. All my homies fuckin hate Klaus.

König was raised secular Jewish, really doesn’t know all that much about it and didn’t get a bris or bar mitzvah, it’s just like Yeah That’s What I Put On Papers to him. Klaus is always getting in his shit about Austria and WW2. König’s grandparents made it out of the camps and went on to become: a microbiologist, a professor at the Austrian University of Veterinary Medicine, a multi term mayor of a small village/candy maker, and a beloved homemaker. The brilliance of the family seemed to leech out with each passing generation, and König sees himself as the dead end of it all.

König has rocked Klaus’s shit about the shitty jokes before and will do it again.

Favorite rugby club is South Africa, and he has an intense crush on Faf de Klerk even though he’s been traded to Japan. He’s kind of hot for all scrum halves tho lbr here.

Lunch break is over and this is ridiculous, will probably do more later.

[ephemeral--dreams]

Late night yandere thoughts - Kaveh, Zhongli, Yelan

☆ ☾ ☆ ──────────────────

Kaveh

I worry severely for his ability to be a proper yandere tbh

By which I mean he struggles so much with not just letting you go the moment you plead with him to. He's really too emotional for this - rather, he folds too easily, and is almost more likely to be manipulated than to manipulate you.

It's that very same quality that has the power to guilt trip you into staying, though. It almost feels more like taking pity on him rather than being kidnapped, with how clingy he gets when you tell him to stop this nonsense…

(Of course, he is not entirely oblivious to this, either. He knows what he is doing is wrong, and that he wouldn't have the heart to harm you if you tried to fight your way to freedom. However guilty he feels about playing on your emotions to get you to stay, though, isn't it for the best? You're safe with him. He will not lose another person he loves, so this is better for you both. Anyway, if you'd loved him before, can't you love him while stuck here, too?)

He'll take good care of you, he promises!! Pretend he hasn't put security measures on every exit and everything will seem normal.

Don't expect Alhaitham to help. It's too much energy to get involved in Kaveh's affairs. He'll leave you alone as long as you leave him alone.

Kaveh honey can you even afford to keep a person. Where are you getting the money to do that from.

Zhongli

Dragon. Possessive. You see where this goes.

He doesn't follow any sort of human morals. He has been above such things for centuries. Even living among them, his polite demeanor is partially an act. He would like to blend in with society, and does not feel any particular bloodlust. But he feels no remorse for being swayed into taking you.

Likely manipulated you into signing a contract that effectively placed your life into his hands. Who knows what it was… All that matters is that he has you now, and by Liyue laws, you agreed to it. No matter if you try to fight after the fact.

Will keep you chained up if he must. It will be much easier on you if you cooperate, however. Zhongli would like you to be able to move around your shared home freely. Keeping you bound to a single place is much like locking up a beautiful treasure in a box - a useless endeavor. Pretty things should be enjoyed, so do behave yourself.

Also not above training you to behave. Don't test him.

He might even let you have little outings once he knows you won't bolt from his side the moment the door opens. Wouldn't you like a romantic dinner out? <3

It's very simple with him. Be good and get spoiled, or don't, and face consequences. Either way, you will be his until the end of your life.

Yelan

Another possessive one. In a different way, though. She won't kidnap you, but she will always be watching. Best get used to the prickling of eyes on you.

That, and her sudden appearances. The unexpected way she appears behind you while you wander the local market, leaning over your shoulder to point out which produce to buy (someone was looking at you for a bit too long, and she had to make certain her claim was stated), or when she climbed in through your window late in the evening (she was overly concerned about you being targeted because of her. Better to stay the night just in case she needed to protect you. She dealt with dangerous people each day, after all).

There is that paranoia - that you may get hurt due to your connection with her. Or in some way entirely unconnected. The mere thought that you could be taken from her is enough to make her arms tighten around you, for her to spend time resecuring the house after you're sleeping, to guard over you even more.

You're kept in the dark about the trail of bodies that follows you. Anyone she deems a threat, anyone who bothers you or irritates you. Gone, just like that. You will have peace and safety, without disturbance from any criminal scum. And then you will come back to her happily without an inkling of the blood spilled for your sake.

Wife that loves you enough to kill people for you what more could you want.

[blueflyingturtleontheway]

Streak

Gabe puts himself together and makes a list.

Fandom: Elena of Avalor

Characters: Gabriel Nuñez, others mentioned

Other: rundown of basically the whole show, angst, no happy ending, no resolution, monologue

Word count: 1086

Gabe rubbed the coarse towel on his head, ruffling his still wet hair. He felt a little lighter now, calmer, like he could finally start putting his thoughts in order.

It all started four years ago already. He should've taken a hint when he let himself and Isabel be kidnapped on his very first day on the job. And not long after he let Fiero in to that party where he turned everybody into stone, and then almost made it impossible for Elena to defeat Orizaba, when she first discovered her scepter's powers. He didn't really shine that first year of his service.

He froze for a moment when he realised what he just said sounded like a pun. He pinched the bridge of his nose in shame. He really needed to take a break from both Mateo and Elena.

His most embarrassing failure to this day though, was probably taking El Guapo's sword back when he was competing for his post. It was selfish, it was dangerous, it was breaking the law - and it was just so stupid. And the worst part was that during those two days when Guapo was possessing his body, there were moments when he didn't want him gone. There were moments where he was glad - delighted - that he was stronger, he was faster, he was more confident, and just how difficult it was to decide to actually use Mateo's cure. There were moments back then when he finally felt like a true knight.

His gaze absentmindedly went to the training dummy set aside in the corner and felt the fresh abrasions on his knuckles burn. Nowadays he often wondered if he wasn't too similar to the cursed general. If maybe Mateo's potion didn't work completely and some part of the ghost was left in him. But he always quickly abandoned these thoughts.

His first year as captain wasn't much better than as a lieutenant. He didn't notice anything off about Rita for the weeks that she's been around. He was just as fooled as Mateo and just as dismissive to Naomi as Elena's been. And then he even let Shuriki herself into the palace. Shuriki. The one worst nightmare Avalor had to face in the past half a century and he didn't even notice though he might've passed her himself in the crowd. That would be it, in terms of his security skills.

He reached for his uniform that he's left on the chair earlier and slowly took to buttoning it up.

And what followed - oh stars, what followed. In the weeks after Shuriki returned they all - he, Naomi, Elena, Mateo, even Isa - they all could've died a thousand times over. And during all of that. He. Was. Useless. He lost the scepter piece to Shuriki, he couldn't help Isa when Shuriki set the tower on fire. Magic fire. And he was powerless against magic, against wizards, against scepters.

He squeezed the comb in his hand until its teeth painfully drove into his palm. He took a few breaths in and out before he turned to the mirror.

Then of course he got captured by Fiero during the battle of Nueva Vista and let the Delgados escape. And if he wasn't good at keeping criminals away, he was even worse at finding them. He spent what? Three months? Four? Chasing Delgados all throughout the country, combing through every inch of the jungle and every abandoned house and he would've never found them if they didn't reveal themselves. Not to mention that he couldn't capture them even when they basically served themselves on a silver platter.

He took the report from his desk and skimmed the even lines of text one last time. He let out a sigh before putting it in a file.

He seemed to be getting worse at his job actually. They had them all imprisoned, even the ex chancellor when he turned out to be a criminal too. And finally everything seemed to be over, everything seemed to be well and almost too good to be true. Well, it was definitely too good to last. He let his guard down, he allowed himself a moment to relax and those dangerous criminals escaped, again. And again on his watch. And he wasn't even able to catch Ash and Esteban despite being right behind them. He wouldn't have caught the other two if one of them didn't get turned to stone and the other gave up.

He stopped for a moment before the mirror to make sure he looked presentable. He took a few deep breaths, unfurrowed his brows. He already had to explain himself of one thing, he didn't need any extra attention to his shortcomings.

Doña Paloma's words stung when he heard them, of course. It hurt even more knowing that two of his friends agree with her. But what was probably the worst was that deep down he knew she was right. Why was he still leading the guard? And how long was he still going to? He now saw that the moment someone more skilled, more competent came along, he was going to lose his position. He was replaceable.

He controlled his pace through the palace corridors, even though he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. He answered with a nod to a salute, when he passes the guard posted before the treasury.

But that's why he was taking action. There were enough fights where he was knocked out, his sword cast away and he was simply useless. But he was going to do better. He had a plan now he just- he just can't make such stupid mistakes as he did today. He has to do better.

He raised his head high as he reached with fist towards the door and took one last deep breath.

Was it really so bad that he finally wanted to show what he's worth?

[doctorstrangereview]

0025: Strange Tales #133

Cover Date: June 1965 On-Sale Date: March 11, 1965

Doc gets some good cover real estate this month and is even first, occupying the left third. It's a Kirby original based on the story inside. Kirby's interpretation of Strange is improving, but still a little bit off. The other exciting thing is that there are not one, but two women on the cover! For a series that barely acknowledges the existence of women, we get two in major roles! We had to journey to another universe for this to happen. Yes, this is one of the side trips in this story arc.

Our splash page shows Doc's silhouette in white against an unknow background vaguely reminiscent of the dimension Mordo sent Doc's house back in issue #117. Moving back to Mordo, staying the Ancient One's pad rent free, he is talking with Dormammu on the floaty, smoky TV. Mordo believes he's destroyed Doc, by Dormie corrects him. "No, you idiot. He skedaddled outta there. Are you so stupid you couldn't sense it?" says Dormie. "You gotta charge me up so I can follow him," replies Mordo. "Are you still being a moron? There are infinite dimensions. We'll have to wait for him to show up again."

Nearby, Clea is apparently listening in on all this. Looks like Earth isn't the only place where magical beings can't be bothered with security. Clea frets for a bit, but has no ideas, and these panels just fill the rest of the page without moving the plot forward.

Back to Doc. He's turned into a big, black marble that is bursting through some very wet dimensional barriers on his journey. They do look very cool!

Eventually, Doc's spell runs out of steam and he winds up... somewhere. By an amazing coincidence, he reforms right near an important character to this story. The character is so important, neither Ditko, nor Lee bothered to name her. Stranger danger lady warns Doc to go back whence he came. She succinctly explains that her mad sister has stolen her throne and will kill any strangers. While Queen-in-exile remains nameless, her evil usurper, we discover, is named Shazana. While the two banter, one of Shazana's guards capture the two of them.

Doc is brought before her and attempts some friendliness. Shazana's having none of it! "My sister brought you here. Just a moment while I conjure a spell to kill the both of you!" Doc manages a counter-spell which alerts Shazana to the fact that he is also a magician. Shazana tries again and Doc fends it off but is too weak for anything else. "Maybe she'll think I'm always this useless" Doc thinks to himself. For some never explained reason, Shazana doesn't try again to kill them.

Shazana then realizes her sister is a weak little pain in her butt and send her to her room. Doc conjures a distraction to give him some time to rest and regain some strength. The distraction arrives in the form of a Shazana toady telling her she needs to accept tribute. "I'll be back, stranger, and then you'll see!" Shazana leaves. Doc is still to weak for just about everything, including going ghost, so he has no choice to wait as a weird creature looks in on him.

We have a brief interlude at the Ancient One's secret cave where Hamir, his retainer, is busy retaining him. The old dude continues to babble on about helping Doc. The keyword "Eternity" is absent this chapter.

Back across the infinite dimensions, Doc has encountered the weird little creature when he has an idea. "This odd little dude hangs around Shazana a lot. I'll bet it knows something," and proceeds to probe it's mind. I'm not sure if these creatures can give consent and therefore the morality of this action is unknown to me.

We get a nice, terse origin for Shazana. She enticed a magician to teach her magic, killed him and stole the throne. Her power all comes from a glowing globed hidden in the funky looking throne in the funky throne room.

Doc then sends an image of his all-purpose amulet's eye to the unnamed sister and tells her to meet him in the throne room.

More mystic TV! How awesome!

Doc and the nameless one wait for Shazana to finish banishing the tributaries for insufficient tribute. She heads out to taunt her captives and finds them gone. "Oh Crap! My magic globe!" She heads back, but Doc has used the time to start blasting the funky throne with his amulet. The throne fades away revealing the globe. Doc shatters it, making Shazana powerless. Unnamed lady reclaims her throne as her sister is driven mad. Doc heads back home. Best of luck Nameless Majesty, long may you reign.

It's silly and the plot isn't very original, but it's a nice diversion from the main arc. In many ways it's a traditional fairy tale. If we look at our women, the good girl is a blond while the evil one is a brunette. I don't know if that's intentional. They are dressed similarly with odd headgear. The deposed queen has an extra tress of hair sticking out the top of her head. Perhaps that denotes her higher rank. Shazana is dressed in green. I'm not sure if it's Ditko or the colorist, but they do like green for their villains. Onward!

[aeoki]

Blackjack - Miracles Don't Exist: Chapter 12

Location: Star Fest Stage Characters: Shinobu, Souma, Mayoi & Tetora Season: Winter

Shinobu: …Anzu-dono escaped from being under house arrest and wandered around aimlessly.

She found me and told me to “help her” ~de gozaru.

And I have an obligation to help Anzu-dono no matter what the circumstances are.

Tetora: Osu. That’s what “RYUUSEITAI” is all about.

Shinobu: Yeah. Everything is on the verge of changing, but we’ll still be “RYUUSEITAI”.

Tetora: …But where is Anzu on Anego? I don’t see her around.

Souma: She is right here, Nagumo.

Tetora: Oh, Kanzaki-senpai. Don’t tell me the sack you’re carrying on your back is…

Souma: Indeed. Anzu-dono is inside. It does not feel as charming as “Santa’s” “sack of presents”, though.

It appears Anzu-dono does not wish to be seen by others at the moment.

Shinobu: You’re a real lifesaver, Kanzaki-dono. It would have been impossible for me to carry Anzu-dono all the way here from the ES building.

Souma: I am confident in my physical strength, my dear little brother.

Tetora: When did you guys become brothers?

Souma: No need for envy. It is simply a form of amusement.

Though it may be a temporary relationship, it is sensible to support one another as we refer to each other as family.

In anything, I should be grateful to be bestowed with the opportunity to make good use of my physical and armed strength, as I would normally be deemed useless in this era. 

Leave the security of this venue to me, allies of justice. I shall not allow any suspicious individuals, villains or “evil” apparitions to pass.

As long as I am here, I can guarantee your safety.

No, it is my role to do so. Not to kill one other but to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

It gives me great joy to be able to act like the ideal samurai.

Merry Christmas…♪

Tetora: Woah… Kanzaki-senpai just passed me the sack with Anzu no Anego inside and ran off somewhere.

Shinobu: He must be planning on guarding the area as he said. Kanzaki-dono was actually worried about me and stayed with me the entire day.

Tetora: So that’s why you guys are so close.

Shinobu: I’d always thought he was a nice person. We have similar hobbies, too.

Tetora: A ninja and samurai, huh. I don’t think it’s right to call his way of life a hobby, though.

Well, anyway, ohh… Anzu no Anego really was inside that sack. H–Hope you’ve been well.

Huh? That goes the same for us, you say? Well, we’ve just been working, after all!

Ahaha. That’s the same for all of us? I guess you’re right?

Mayoi: –You’re here, Anzu-san.

Shinobu: Whaa!?

Mayoi: I–I’m sorryyy… I didn’t mean to frighten youuu – Was I that scary?

Shinobu: No, I think I’ve gotten pretty used to your surprise attacks.

But I’d like to praise you as a chief ~de gozaru. That concealment technique is appropriate for a ninja.

Mayoi: I–Is it…? This is just how we are.

But if that’s a merit you think is worth praising, then that makes me happy.

It makes me feel it was worth it.

Shinobu: Yeah. Every single thing is worth it, Mayoi-dono.

Tetora: Osu. Your hardwork may seem useless at a glance, but that accumulation is the only way that will allow you to take hold of a better future.

I’ve always worked hard believing that.

Mayoi: Right… Ahaha, Anzu-san must also agree, seeing as she’s nodding her head a lot.

The way Anzu-san isn’t speaking but just expressing her emotions through actions is just like an animal – how adorable…♪

Oh, how I wish to take Shinobu-kyun home in the sack just like this…♪

Shinobu: D–Did I just hear you say something disturbing!?

Mayoi: Ehehe. I’m kidding. I do love powerless creatures who cannot retaliate like how Anzu-san is behaving right now.

But we are weak. We’re a very weak family.

We are frail people who would essentially vanish in an instant if we were to receive a tiny attack from “you all”.

That’s why I like creatures who are weaker than us and won’t hurt us in any way. It’s the only thing I’m not afraid to love.

Shinobu: No. Even if that’s the sort of people your family are, you’re an outlier, Mayoi-dono.

Mayoi: …………?

Shinobu: Mayoi-dono, you’re an idol ~de gozaru. The one who knows that best isn’t me, but your companions in “ALKALOID”.

But you overcame many tragedies, gained many experiences, met many people…

And right now, you’ve become a praiseworthy idol.

So don’t speak of yourself like you’re a filthy deviant. If you’ll put yourself down and call yourself insignificant…

Then every time you do so, people like us who love you will also feel miserable ~de gozaru.

So please, at the very least, when you’re with me, “ALKALOID” or your fans who love you…

I want you to stand strong with your head held high and live with a smile on your face.

Mayoi: ……………

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[solrika]

Miri and Kallus have a conversation.

~

The capital city of Lasana had been established long enough that it featured more permanent structures than tree houses. This was especially obvious at the Palace–though full of greenery, the only tree big enough to hold a building sat in the center of a fortress of carved stone. Three levels had been constructed in its branches and molded into its trunk, but the tree stretched far above, free for anyone brave enough to climb it. 

Some long-ago lasat had carved a little niche far above the main buildings, just big enough to fit an occupant and some blankets. It had been Miri’s favorite place since her mother had first brought her up as a kit. 

So it was a bit of a surprise to reach the last viewing platform before the climb, only to find Garazeb and Illeah leaning against the trunk. Slowing, she asked suspiciously, “Where’s your charge?”

“Where’s your Guard?” Garazeb retorted.

Illeah, ignoring him, answered, “He’s up there.”

Miri wrinkled her nose, curious in spite of herself. “He can climb?”

Illeah wiggled her hand in a so-so motion, and Garazeb grumped, “Apparently.” 

“Huh.” Miri squinted up into the branches. She could just make out a flash of white–was that the only color he owned? How depressing–between the leaves. For a moment she considered turning back, already wondering where else she could hole up to be alone. Her rooms, of course, but these days they felt too big and echoing… 

No, she decided, flicking her ears back. That was her spot. No human was going to take it from her. Making sure her hair was securely tied, she announced, “I’m going up. You can tell Gorn when he arrives.”

“I’m going to assign him so many laps,” Garazeb grumbled. “Karabast. Outrun by a teenager.” Jerking his head up at the little white flicker, he added, “Don’t push him off.”

“As if,” Miri retorted, though she had been entertaining the thought. Before Garazeb could respond, she set her claws into the bark and began to climb. 

As always, the time it took to actually arrive at her spot quieted some of her whirling thoughts. The tree seemed to whisper songs with every breeze. Once above the palace walls she could see the entire city spread out below, and it settled something in her chest to see it moving in familiar rhythms. Things weren’t normal–too many craters in the street for that–but her people were living their lives anyway.

Some of her peace fled at the first whiff of human, but she gritted her teeth and resolved to at least try being civil. And part of that involved letting him know she was there, instead of startling him right off the tree. “Prince,” she called, “coming up.” 

His head popped out over the edge of a branch. At least, she consoled herself, he was nowhere near her little niche. “Miriana,” he called back. “Do you need assistance?” 

Miri had to close her eyes and breathe carefully for a moment. Not an insult. Not an insult. “No, I’ve got it.” Opening her eyes again, she pulled herself up to perch on a craggy bit of bark a few feet from his branch. There was a pause, as they both surveyed the other. Kallus was, as usual, in white, though his outfit was far less ornate than what he usually wore around the Palace. Instead, it was a short-sleeved jumpsuit, much closer to what Miri herself wore. Turned out his little spots went all the way down his arms. More surprising, though, were his bare feet. 

“You don’t have shoes on,” Miri said, stupidly.

“Ah. Yes.” Kallus looked down at his feet–they were so small, and clawless, and weird–and absently wiggled his toes. “It’s much easier to climb this way.” 

“Of course it is,” Miri replied, and held out one of her own feet, showing off its dexterous toes. “I don’t know why you wear shoes in the first place. Useless things.”

“My feet aren’t as tough as yours, Miriana. Alas.” Kallus looked like he was holding in a laugh. Why, she didn’t know, but at least it didn’t seem mean. His eyes didn’t have that nasty glint she’d seen whenever he wanted to make someone feel small. 

Said eyes glanced down at the ground, squinting to make out the shapes of Garazeb and Illeah far below. “Were you sent to fetch me?”

“No.” Miri leant back against the tree, watching the city. “I just wanted some air.”

“Mm. It seems, for once, we are in accord.” 

She didn’t want to be in accord with him. Didn’t want to think about whatever might have made fleeing up a tree more inviting than his ground-bound rooms. To distract herself, she pointed at the straps around his hips. “What’s that?” 

“Climbing harness.” He lifted a rope–it led from the harness to a little piton she hadn’t noticed before. “I don’t have a tail, so…” 

“Huh.” She wouldn’t have been able to push him after all. Maybe Garazeb hadn’t known what the harness was for, either. Resolving to hold that over his head–he liked acting like he knew everything just because he was older, and she was sick of it–Miri asked, “Where did it come from?” 

Kallus fiddled with the straps. “I, ah, requisitioned it from the Imperial forces.” 

“Oh.” She looked at it again, tail twitching in distaste. For a moment, she considered having another made for him, with proper decorations, so she wouldn’t have to see the ugly Imperial thing. But–maybe that would feel even worse, to know she’d given him a gift when he’d already stolen so much. 

They sat in silence for a little, Miri watching the city, Kallus the little birds that called the tree their home. 

When he spoke, it startled her enough to make her ears perk (not enough to make her fall, of course, because she was a lasat with a tail and claws, not a silly human). “Miriana,” he said, “you love your people.”

Flattening her ears back, she snapped, “Of course I do!”

Kallus held up a hand. “I’m not doubting your devotion. I simply…” He frowned, looking back out at the city. Slowly, as if he was chewing over the words, he said, “I want to understand it.” 

Narrowing her eyes, Miri asked, “You want to know why I love them?” 

“Yes.” 

Miri scrutinized him a little longer, but–he didn’t smell angry, or scared, and his eyes were still soft. “Well,” and she sat back against the tree, “How long do you have?”

Kallus huffed a laugh. “Until Garazeb loses patience.” There, a tiny wisp of fear, but that wasn’t Miri’s problem.

“He’ll have to climb up himself,” she snorted. “Well. They always say you need to begin with the beginning—so, we should start with Lira San and the Ashla, the Bendu, and the Bogan…” 

[myocsfanfictions]

The Road Ahead of Us - TWD (Season 2)

The Walking Dead Fanfiction

MASTERLIST

They had left Atlanta behind, trying to reach Fort Benning; but during an apocalypse nothing ever goes at it is planned. Sarah and Nicolette will have to face new challenges and dangers. How will they survive?

<< Previous

Chapter 32

SARAH

What Rick had said has been very shocking for Sarah, as for everyone else. The fact that Rick kept it a secret was not right, not at all. She understood that he wanted to protect them, but keeping them in the dark was not the right solution for anyone.

"I can't believe it," Glenn muttered. Sarah knew what he felt, but now it was useless to talk about it; they had to make sure to build a safe camp.

"A'right," Daryl whispered, before looking at every one of them, "Imma take some wood for the fire. Sarah," he turned to her, "Do that thin' Rick asked you to," she nodded her head.

"Don't go alone," she said to him, who observed her for a moment, biting his lips before looking at Glenn.

"Ya come with me?" he asked and Glenn agreed after he took a deep breath.

"Me, Maggie, and T-Dog will keep the guard," Hershel said, holding his rifle closer.

"I'll look at the kids," Carol said, putting a hand on Carl's shoulder.

They were all divided to do what they were supposed to. As she walked towards the wall, Sarah observed her sister. She seemed deep in thought and nervous. She must have been very scared.

"Nicolette," she said, stopping by her sister, who looked at her quietly, "Do you wanna help me with the rope?"

"Alright," Nicki said almost whispering. She was really shaken up; her expression was almost impossible to see, but her fingers were moving, and her skin was paler. Something was bothering her mind more than usual.

"T, could you help me?" Sarah said catching the man's attention, who nodded, "I need to move the cars," she said, "I want to block the entrance facing the road. We stop them diagonally," she pointed, explaining her idea, "The backs attached to the walls, the fronts touching to each other. At least they don't jump."

"Gotcha," he said, "I take the red, you the green," Sarah nodded. They took little time. Beth had helped T-Dog with his car, and Nicki had helped Sarah. At least the front was secured. Then she brought Nicolette to the back. The roop that she had brought with her was long enough to touch it around different trees. She could not close the entrance, but she could create a sort of fence to defend a side. The other was open, but they needed an escape route if they needed to.

"You wanted to talk to me, right?" Nicki asked as Sarah was securing the rope around a tree most close to the little river they had at the back.

"It depends if you wanna talk," she answered, knowing perfectly well that if Nicki didn't wanted to speak, she wouldn't have.

As she was making a solid knot, Sarah glanced at her sister, noticing her eyes fixed on Carl. She was overthinking a lot; Sarah could almost see her brain at work, but she said nothing. She waited patiently for her sister to open up. And in the end, she did.

"There's something I keep thinking," Nicki said, making a step towards her sister, who looked up at her, giving her her full attention, "Why did Shane stage all of that? With Randall?"

That was a good question. A question that Sarah had thought too.

"Daryl said that Shane and Randall were together... where they found the body," Sarah said thinking back at what Daryl had said in the house.

"He didn't follow him?" Nicki asked and Sarah shook her head. Her sister's eyes were fixed on the ground. Sarah didn't blame her. She was sad that Shane had died, but what he did to Randall had been terrible and unjustified.

"Me and Carl saw Shane's body," at her sister's words, Sarah let the rope go to turn to look at Nicki, "When we got there, he turned..." she kept explaining, "Carl was the one who put him down," Sarah let out a shaky breath. Those poor children had seen something terrible, another friend died and then turned into a walker. Sarah's eyes moved briefly in Carl's direction. He was so young...

"He wasn't bit," Nicki kept saying after a moment of silence, "He was just dead, and Rick never told us how it happened..." Sarah observed her sister.

"What do you think?" Sarah asked getting closer to Nicki. The girl looked at her for a moment, before letting out a breath.

"What if he attacked Rick?" she asked finally. Sarah's breath stopped in her throat. Would he really do something like that? For what? The leadership? Lori?

But they were friends...

"Oh god," Sarah muttered.

"Why did he go crazy?" Nicolette asked after some moments of silence, making Sarah observe her with pain in her gaze, "He wasn't like that..."

"If he did," Sarah said trying to keep her voice stady, "Maybe... all of this, with all we are living..."

"Can someone change that much?" Nicki asked, her voice betraying her; for the first time, Sarah could hear them speak with worry, "He protected us, he was gentle, and then..." She was speaking the truth; everyone had noticed the change in his behavior, and the change had been quite abrupt and undeniable.

"Can someone else change?" Nicki asked.

"No, Nicki," Sarah said making a step towards her sister.

"That's a lie," she said looking at her sister, "You know it is..."

"These people are our friends, Nicki, you know that," Nicki nodded her head.

"I know," she said, her voice shaky, "But what if it happens? What should we do? What should I do?" Sarah pulled her sister into her arms. It broke her heart to see her like that, so scared, and some tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I couldn't even shoot an arrow at him," she kept saying as she hugged Sarah back.

"He was your friend, Nicki," she said rubbing her back, "Shooting him wasn't something easy to do."

" But I can't freeze if something like that happens," Nicki answered, breaking the hug, "I can't do that," and without waiting for an answer, her sister turned to move back towards the others.

That wasn't what Nicolette should have worried about, she was so young. She should have talked about TV series, music, or boys, not weapons and putting down friends who became walkers.

"Hey..." Daryl's voice made her turn, and as she saw him, Sarah quickly dried her tears.

"Hey," she said as she heard him walk closer. He had gone to search for some wood for the fire.

"Ya alright?" He asked. His eyes were on her. Sarah bit her lips, shaking her head.

"Nicki saw Shane turn," she explained, "She... felt bad because she couldn't put him down," Sarah dried more of her tears, "She is scared, and I don't know what to do. I'm scared too and I don't know..."

"Hey," he whispered getting closer to her, "It's gonna be alright," he said again, making her look up at him.

"This sounds like a promise," she said.

Daryl observed her for a moment, biting his lip, before nodding his head, "It is."

Sarah didn't know what to say, but she hoped that he knew that his words meant a lot to her.

She moved one of her hands to touch his, "Thank you," she said forcing a little smile. Daryl's eyes moved to their hands, before looking at her again.

"You need help?" She asked, but he shook his head.

"Nah, I'm good," he answered with a low voice before waiting for Sarah to set up the rope, and then they both went back to the others.

T-Dog was keeping guard while Carl and Lori sat near the fire that Daryl was staring at. Hershel was hugging Beth as Maggie and Glenn sat next to each other. Nicki was sitting a little further from them, her back laid against the wall, while Carol sat next to Daryl, on the other side from where Sarah was.

"We're not safe with him, keeping something like that from us," Carol said looking at Daryl. Sarah frowned as she listened, "Why do you need him? He's just gonna pull you down."

Sarah looked at Daryl as he spoke, "No. Rick's done all right by me."

"You're his henchmen and I'm a burden," Carol argued.

"Carol, with all due respect, but what the hell are you saying?" Sarah asked leaning forward, hoping that no one was listening to them.

"You're a burden too," Carol said, and Sarah felt taken aback by her words, "He deserves better, and you know it."

Sarah was about to answer, but Daryl spoke instead, glaring at Carol, "What do you want?"

"A man of honor," Carol answered and Sarah felt her eyes gone wide. What was she saying? Leaving Rick behind? What was her plan?

"Rick has honor," Daryl answered and Sarah looked at him. He was loyal and kind and she was glad he was with them and didn't want to leave.

"Maybe we should take our chance," Maggie said, looking at Glenn, and Sarah could not believe what they were saying.

"We have to stay together now," Sarah said with wide eyes. How could they not see it? Together they were stronger? They wouldn't have lasted two days all scattered around.

"Sarah is right," Hershel said, "There's no food, no fuel, no ammo-"

Suddenly the sound of leaves rustling made them all get up. Sarah turned to her sister, who had already come closer, an arrow already on her bow.

"What was that?" Beth asked.

"Could be anything," Daryl answered, Sarah was behind him, feeling the fear growing in her. If it was a walker, maybe they could take it down, but what if there were more, "Could be a raccoon, could be a possum-"

"A walker," Carol interrupted Daryl, "We need to leave."

"Going where?" Nicki said skeptically, "It's night."

"It's better than staying here," Carol answered, "I mean, what are we waiting for?"

"Calm down," Sarah said, hoping that Carol would not freak out and run off somewhere.

"Which way?" Glenn asked.

"It came from over there," Maggie said, bracing her rifle.

"Back from where we came," Beth whispered. And she was right.

"The last thing we need is for everyone to be running off in the dark," Rick's voice made Sarah turn; she didn't even notice that he had gotten back, "We don't have the vehicles. No one is traveling on foot," Sarah agreed with him, even if she didn't miss the annoyed look he had looking at all of them.

"Don't panic," Hershel said trying to keep everyone calm.

"I'm not sitting here waiting for another herd to blow through," Maggie said anxiously.

"We don't know if it is a walker," Sarah insisted, trying to keep calm. She knew that the situation was fucked up. They were in the open and anything could pass by, but panic never helped anyone.

"We need to move now," Maggie insisted, but this time, it was Rick who talked.

"No one is going anywhere!" He exclaimed.

"Do something!" Carol said.

"I am doing something!" Rick argued back, "I'm keeping this group together, alive. I've been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this!"

Rick had always tried; he had always done his best to help and protect them all since the first day they met. He didn't put himself in charge; they let him, and Sarah did not think it was fair for them to turn on him because they were in a difficult situation. Being divided meant death; how could they not see that?

"I killed my best friend for you people, for Christ's sake!" Sarah's eyes widened at his words as she turned towards her sister. Nicki was observing the man, but there was no expression on her face as she kept quiet. Nobody said anything.

"You saw what he was like," Rick kept saying, "How he pushed me, how he compromised us, how he threatened us," Sarah looked up at Daryl, and they both shared a look.

"He staged the whole Randall thing," Rick kept saying and Sarah could not help but observe her sister, "Led me out to put a bullet in my back," Nicki had been right. Shane had tried to kill Rick.

"He gave me no choice," he kept saying, "He was my friend but he came after me," as Carl started to cry in his mother's arms, it had been the only moment in which Nicki turned away. Still no emotion on her face.

"My hands are clean!" Rick kept saying, and nobody dared to answer anything. Among them fell an heavy silence, only Carl's whimpers could be heard.

"Maybe you people are better off without me," Rick said, "Go ahead!" Sarah looked at the others, trying to understand if someone was talking in consideration of actually leaving, but it was very difficult to catch; they were all too shocked, too scared.

"I say there's a place for us, but maybe it's just another pipe dream," Rick said and Sarah let out a shaky breath, glancing at her sister. She was hoping that there was a place, somewhere, where her sister could grow in peace and safety. There must have been one, somewhere.

"Maybe I'm fooling myself again," Rick kept saying, "Why don't you go and find out yourself? Send me a postcard! Go ahead, that's the door!" Sarah and Daryl looked at each other once more, "You can do better? Let's see how far you get," Rick said, but nobody moved, "No takers? Fine! But get one thing straight: you're staying, this isn't a democracy anymore," and then he walked away.

They all looked at each other in silence, knowing perfectly that they would not have made it on their own. They had to stay together. Now more than ever. Sarah looked at her sister; Nicki was her priority, and she would have done anything to keep her safe. Anything.

[notasapleasure]

The Sarah Jane Adventures, S01E05-06: The Warriors of Kudlak (2007)

Uhhh warning I got super carried away screencapping this. It would be worthy of giffing if I had the capability, there’s a lot of campy gurning.

---

This is some....CBBC Doctor Who spin-off?

The 'Mistress' in a laser-quest style game is getting some alien bug guy to abduct children for her. Sjsjssjjddkffff OH my god, Mark Grantham owns the premises and is......seeking out kids on the street to come and play Mr Kudlak's game.

HEY KIDS. I'm a huge East End geezer brandishing a pair of pliers, come play my laser quest game!

Blimey he's had more to say in the first few minutes than he had in like. All seven episodes of Doctors? Mr Kudlak the bug alien guy has already told him to shut up :') Dork.

All the children in this speak like aliens what is going on

Shsjskjsffff.

He needs to find better grade children and stop mocking the mistress! No one is irreplaceable!

Sarah Jane and her weird child friend have made a Cloudbuster that makes it rain jelly beans. Wilhelm Reich would be impressed!

Making creepy sounds of appreciation about the 'mummy's boy' doing well! And apparently Mr Kudlak smells bad when he's happy, hence the chewing gum addiction?

Unfazed by the Star Wars reference, oily greasy awful vibes, but god we're all having such fun here :')

"Mr Grantham and his partner Mr Kudlak" THIS IS PUNISHMENT FOR ME AND ME ALONE FOR SUGGESTING BRASSO FUCKS ALIENS

"The ultimate warrior of the future is always on guard...for surprise attacks!" *wink* 💀💀💀

He catches Sarah Jane and her young assistant sneaking round his office:

"D'you know why people come to Combat 3000? They come for the GUNS."

Absolute mentalist. Love him and his alien bug boyfriend.

He's impressed that she's seen an alien gun before.

"Children. Adore. Wargames."

"A conscience is like a stone in your shoe. You cannot begin to imagine the relief once you get rid of it."

Unhinged. Fantastic.

Too unhinged to remember to...shoot Sarah Jane when she reaches for her lippy as a 'last request'. Oopsie, that's a sonic screwdriver! His little link to Kudlak is broken...

Part II

Episode preview looked mad I can't wait.

Uhhhh Mr Kudlak is unhappy. Screenshotted this moment entirely by accident:

Oh dear Mr Kudlak has turned rather mean. He thinks killing the useless Mr Grantham would do honour to both their species :')

Luckily for Mr Grantham, Mistress cares more about getting more children, and he seems to think he has a solution to their security problems....

It involves going to Sarah Jane’s house with his gun to kill her? Sarah Jane is happy for the opportunity to study new forms of human low-life - and he's into that.

"You are a cool old bird, I'll give you that."

Apparently trafficking children to warzones is what makes the galaxy go round :') who hurt you, Mr Grantham?

Outwitted by a child! How fitting.

Sarah Jane saying how Mr Grantham's going to help them: *brandishes cable ties with glee*

Uhhhhh why did they strip his jacket off, untuck his shirt and muss up his hair again?

Why does he enjoy the experience of being cable-cuffed and held at gunpoint so much?

"So you're going to tell the police that I helped some butt-ugly alien send kids to war in a galaxy far, far away?" He finds this very amusing.

"I don't think a man like you will fare too well in prison." Sarah Jane what's THAT meant to mean???!! This is a kids’ show??

Apparently that was enough to change his mind.

I wish you could all here the gleeful chuckle he makes when he promises to get Sarah Jane and her assistant up to the alien ship - "Why wouldn't I? You're never going to come back?"

The amount of fun this man is having should be illegal my god :')

Final analysis: "Worse than Kudlak" "He'll get what's coming to him. Eventually."

And we'll never know what that is! I had been hoping Kudlak was going to beam him up and recruit him into getting back all the child soldiers he’d already sent away, but I guess that’s another one for the fanfic I am not going to write.

Rating:

Dead? Probably not?

Evil? SO EVIL. Child trafficking. To a warzone. Fun FUNSIES.

Affects the plot? Well yeah, he’s abducting all those children!

Solid 4/5 again. I might have upped it if he’d had an epilogue. Awful man. Delightful. Keep doing those silly things with your face. Why are you so tall and such a pathetic meow meow all at once?

[nananananaratking]

Here's a story

The Jewelry store

"do you want diamonds, or cubic zirconia." The guy in the suit and fresh clean hair looks down on me. I try to fix my hair and I take off my gloves. I'm hoping he cannot see the lose threads and the layer of grease on my brow. I need to visit the thrift shop after this incounter. "I was wondering if you are hiring. "My name is Alison. I got a resume here" (it has wrinkled in the rain.) "I can work weekends and all hours" I know he isn't interested. It's not like I purposely dressed poor to go job searching. My clothes are only a week old from the second hand store. But like my entire personality, Everywhere I show up I am embarrassing. I should of put makeup on. I should of got a haircut. I didn't think. I thought I looked nice enough to walk into the jewelry shop. I just hope im standing right and speaking with respect to the man behind the counter. "my manager is not in right now but I'll take your resume." The situation has ended.

I walk across towards the end of the mall. The mixture of people contain children and old folks, some homeless and security guards. I smile at the security guards so they know I'm not a thief. I walk outside. Its not raining anymore, there is a double rainbow. I want to follow it. I want to find enough gold for my family. But nothing is that simple. There would be no gold. Just ruined sneakers from climbing mountains. I cannot afford to ruin my sneakers. Time to catch the bus. I barely make it in time but I cannot hitchhike today. Not enough energy.

I have arrived at home. Taken a shower and placed myself in a satin nighty. I have washed my face and brushed my hair. I feel happy. My husband is walking the dog. My cat (Diana) is curled in my lap. I have fed the fish and refilled the bird feeders. I begin to read a book my mother recommended last week. I don't necessarily care for the book but I intend to make her happy. Shes been in the hospital for 6 months (dialysis). I start to dose off.

"Woof woof" Hank licks my face. I can almost feel a border collie hair ball fall on me. So fluffy and warm he curls into my lap scaring Diana away. "I love and missed you so much" warm words trail off from Silvester. Its hard to focus when I'm fast asleep. I feel blankets being toppled onto me with little snuggles in between. I have been absolutely useless today and here I am being coddled by my family.

I move over the coffee cups on the messy bedside table too look at the clock. Its 3:37 am and I have heard a knock. I wonder if my mother has been released unexpectedly or if a neighbor is upset with me. I open the door, to my surprise it's the man from the jewelry store. My first thought is he thinks I stole something. I begin to get my story straight and align my sentences when he tells me with the biggest smile on his face that he has a surprise. "Okay what is it" I am extremely excited. My first thought is 'wow I've actually been hired' he must need me for this mornings shift. "I found a hole behind the jewelry shop, it's sparkly. And i think you might want to go look at it with me. Wouldn't that be fun." The out of his mind man waves jazz hands at me but he doesn't seem intoxicated. "Um okay" glowing portal, sparkles I'm not one to be skeptical of the situation. But it is a bizzare house visit at 3:37 am.

I get dressed and I kiss my husband. Give him a big squeeze. "I'm off on an adventure I will be home soon I love you." I hardly ask permission as he barely moves grumbles and goes back to sleep. I sit in the man's car, questions begin flowing in my brain. "What is your name?" "Darrel, I remember your name being Alison. Okay I know this is strange but I find you trustworthy. So please entertain this whole sparkly gate thing just for the car ride." Darrel does the jazz hands when he mentions the sparkles again. And I begin to wonder if he was also watching a jazz performance tonight when he imagined a sparkly portal. But I have never been to skeptical of magic and very few and far between have called me trustworthy. The car ride is about 12 minutes long and does not give much time for more questions. Other than quick discussion of current events and, a tiny bit of road rage at the two red lights along the way. We have arrived at the mall. It is 3:58 am.

Luckily instead of the security guards wondering the next morning why Darrel took a strange woman through the mall at 4 am, we go through the back door that leads right into the jewelry shop. "Come with me and then you'll believe me" Darrel is ecstatic and I follow him. He moves a few boxes. I can only imagine have thousands of dollars worth of jewelry inside. Low and behold there is indeed a sparkly hole in the wall. I can see why he said sparkly and not glowing because its not glowing. It is like diamonds gleaming out of the wall like a mine. It's not neon at all or producing any light other then when Darrel shines his flashlight on it. "Is it a mine?" I am completely in shock. The shop could be very rich. And I'm trusted with the information. "No it isn't, it's magic" Darrel seems to use Jazz hands a lot. "Here touch it" he grabs me and drags me over rather forcefully but with excitement and not aggression. "Okay, okay ill touch it" I laugh I need to be a tad skeptical to protect my integrity at this point. I touch the sparkles and my hand goes straight through them. "Just like the movies" I am astonished. "Lets climb through" Darrel jumps up with joy. "Are you sure." Now I'm worried. "It could be dangerous" I step back from Darrel, a tad bit rude. "We should throw something through it attached to a string" Darrel grabs a diamond (with no band) from the back. I'm not sure how much money he's going to risk on it but I do not ask. He attaches the diamond to a box cord with a splotch of ring glue and throws it through the sparkles.

Darrel pulls the diamond back. "I was right" I am extremely disappointed to see the diamond is now crushed into what someone can only call a marble. "So it's not safe" Darrel begins to cry. "Hold on the Cord was fine and our hands are fine something is up." I try to put the puzzle pieces together. "Do you have anything back here that is not a mineral or rock." "There's minerals in our hands and this cord" Darrel points out. "anything cheap to test." I just now realize how expensive that diamond was. "We should test the cubic zirconia. He is way ahead of me in clues and i begin to yawn.

Darrel pulls out a cubic zirconia in a silver band and splotches glue onto the cord. He tosses the ring through the gateway. He pulls back a perfect ring. I feel relieved no more money is damaged. "Lets go through" jazz hands return, I am not so convinced. I gester him to go first. "Wait remove your diamonds" I begin to chuckle and take off my blue agate wedding ring in a brass band just incase. Its lovely but what we could afford. He removes about 3 rings 2 bracelets and a necklace. I try not to envy but damn.

He walks through then I follow and what we see is astounding. Its the most beautiful site you could ever see. Its so bright in front of our eyes, is a diamond lake. Darrel walks onto it. Hes fine but oh my god why would he attempt. Its solid and he gestures me to join him. I follow him I am a Poor woman Id be stupid not to try my luck. I put my hands on the diamonds to try to remove some but it is frozen solid.

"Lets keep going" Darrel is more determined than I am. It is early and I wish I was home with Silvester. I do not think Darrel fancies me or my gender. So I do not worry about the journey as a betrayal. We have walked for 10 whole minutes. It must be almost 5 now. From the discussions in the shop. The experiments and journey. We must have killed 35-45 minutes time. At the end of the lake, there is a grass hill. Grass is odd in a diamond world. "We gotta test it Darrel" I pull him back with all my might so he doesn't get hurt. "Test with what. Diamonds crush diamonds in our world what would grass do." Darrel is upset.

"Throw your keys or something" I try to regain control of the situation for the safety of the both of us. "My keys have a diamond in each of them, I left them at the shop. You throw something." My new friend is thoroughly annoyed at me at this point. I should be able to trust grass but I just cant risk it.

I throw my keys onto the grass. Nothing happens. "Do you have anything else" Darrel has come around to see my point of view of the situation. "I have my wallet." I wasnt super excited to throw away my money and my family photos and and my grandpas wallet. But I needed to know. I throw my wallet and the grass is still safe. Up ahead a bird flies.

"Look at that bird" I point up at a weird dove. He has four wings. I do not think we are on earth anymore.

We step onto the grass. We are okay we see a lot more birds. All very beautiful. None with more or less than four wings. Suddenly something crawls across my feet. I look down its an opossum. At this point I'm weirded out and amazed i reach down and grab the possum. "What are you doing?" Darrel is confused at my actions. "Look 6 paws, why?" Darrel looks around for any hints or clues "is there a sun here" he rubs his chin. "I dont see one but its sunny" just as perplexed I mirror his hand-to-chin action. "Lets keep going" he needs answers. By this point I want to return home.

The grass was long. We saw lots of creatures with unusual number of limbs. But we had finally reached the end of the grass. At the end of the grass their was a mountain. "No more test we are climbing it" Darrel is tired and sweating, yet still determined. "Okay I trust you" remember Darrel finding myself trustworthy I decide to put some faith forward.

We begin the journey up a seemingly normal rocky mountain. It isn't extremely high more like a big hill. "We should of brought water" Darrel isn't jazzing no more but still eager. We couldn't possibly complain about the once in a life time journey. Other than it's early in the morning. We weren't going to be rich off the diamonds, and we haven't got any answers.

We climb for about 40 minutes. I begin to wonder if Silvester has woken up to take hank outside. I wonder if he is prepared for his carpenter test. I wonder if he is still in bed to get ten more minutes. We reach a cave.

This must be it. Darrel gasp for air. "Well let's do this" I need answers at this point. We begin walking through the cave. It has fire torches along the walls already lit. You'd expect cave paintings, but there isn't any. You'd expect wildlife. But just a few 4 winged birds and 6 legged chipmunks. I did see a two tailed lizard at the entrance, but other than a few creatures the cave seems pretty empty.

"Maybe this ends in the best hotsprings ever" Darrel laughs. But it ends at a door. "This is man made" I feel along the creaky wood. "A possum could not make this" I giggle and Darrel gives me a hug. I don't understand why he hugged me but It could be one of two things. The journey we've been on has made us close friends, or we might be running into answers at this very moment. "Should we knock". I feel a ton of hope at this moment. We knock. An average clean shaven man, with dark blue eyes, and wavy red hair. Answers the door. "Hello come in, come in" He seems unfazed.

"Where are we" Darrel asks first. "In Trasirda, my home, I'm the only one who lives in this land. And it ends at my house. I don't know how my paradise bled into your world, or how anyone would of found me. You see I won a lottery on my home planet Daxel in Galaxy 497s. My prize was a land I wanted. I chose all the creatures from Daxel, but none of the people. A garden as long as the eye can see. If you had walked the width, you would of never found me. A cave to live in, and read as many tall tales from every single planet. A lake of solid diamond and a mountain to pirch on. Look at this" the man had given us a few answers and pulled out a book. "I can turn this book into anything ive ever wanted to read from any world." The man showed us a few different books, Narnia from our land, Blobstock from his. A few others. Quite fascinating the hermit was. "Well you've traveled this long and I have won the lottery. Please take a couple diamonds on your way out but do not tell anyone about this. Or I'll be flooded with visitors. "The diamond's are frozen" Darrel raised his hand as if he had just been schooled. "Not on the way back" the gingered man began to laugh hysterically as we waved goodbye running down the hill.

Eagerly chasing the diamonds.

We got back to the lake in an hour and a halfs time. And the man was right the diamonds were free for the taking. We shuffled a few handfuls into our pockets as we walked toward the exit. "We're rich, we're rich" Darrel and I sang boasting until we got to the hole to our land. We walked through the portal. Our diamonds still intact. But the gateway had closed behind us. Darrel pushed and pushed trying to make the gate reopen. I put my hand on his shoulder. "All is done, the mans at peace and so are we. Nothing could be worse then if we turn this into greed." I tried reassuring that we had taken enough and had an amazing journey on its own.

It was time to go home. It was 8:12 am and i needed to fill Silvester in on what had happened. Tell him we'd be rich. When I had arrived home he was still asleep in our bed. Hank had definitely gone for a walk tho because there was no puddles and Diana had been fed. The fish were my job. Silvester had about 45 minutes to get to his carpenter exam. My mum had left me 3 voicemails. She had informed me she was doing very well and wanted to hear how i was enjoying the book. I see the morning bird's at the feeders each with two wings (which is a relief) I sat in silence for about ten minutes. Knowing I was about to inform the whole family, that the poverty was over.

[lowtaxsa]

The Customer is always WRONG: an essay

Alright, let me tell you about the time I worked at a pizza parlor, slaving away behind the counter, kneading dough like some kind of culinary indentured servant. I've seen some real pieces of work in my day, but the parade of buffoons that marched through those doors truly took the cake – or should I say, the pizza.

There was this one guy, waddling in with the swagger of a man who clearly thought he was the center of the universe. He orders a large pizza with everything on it, and I mean EVERYTHING. Toppings piled so high it looked like a freakin' landfill on a crust. Then he has the audacity to complain that it's too heavy to carry. What did he expect, helium toppings?

And let's not forget the lady who ordered a pizza with extra anchovies, only to throw a fit when her pie arrived swimming in a sea of salty little fish. "I didn't mean THAT many anchovies!" she screeched, as if I were some kind of mind reader who could divine the precise number of anchovies her precious palate desired.

But wait, there's more! Like the woman who ordered a side of french fries, only to demand they be remade not once, but twice. The first time, she threw a fit because someone dared to touch the frozen, pre-fried potato without a glove – as if the scorching oil wouldn't annihilate any and all germs. And the second time? No reason at all! She just wanted to watch the world burn, one fry at a time.

And then, there was the time Elon freakin' Musk waltzed into the joint like he owned the place – oh wait, he probably does. He just started going to town on the front of the house with a sledgehammer, while his two Iraq War veteran war criminal ex-mercenary private security guards stood by, armed to the teeth with machine guns and grenade launchers. It was like watching some dystopian action movie unfold before my very eyes, except instead of a war zone, it was my beloved pizza parlor. I guess the man just really needed some stress relief after launching yet another useless fucking rocket or whatever the hell he does.

But the pièce de résistance was the moron who ordered a pizza, then proceeded to pluck off each and every topping, leaving behind a sad, barren disc of sauce and cheese. "I just like the taste of the toppings," he explained, as if that justified the senseless carnage of pizza ingredients strewn about his table.

The sheer wastefulness of it all! The mind boggles at the thought of how much food was squandered to satisfy these entitled ingrates. It's no wonder we're drowning in a sea of garbage, with capitalism fueling this rampant excess and environmental destruction.

That's why I've come up with my latest and greatest product: Proletarian Dictatorship! With this revolutionary system, any customer causing a disturbance in a pizza parlor will be immediately arrested for industrial sabotage and anti-environmental activism. No more will the whims of entitled jerks dictate the wanton waste of precious resources. With Proletarian Dictatorship, we'll usher in a new era of pizza-based responsibility and ecological awareness!

So remember, kids: the customer isn't always right. In fact, they're often dead wrong. And with Proletarian Dictatorship on the horizon, the pizza parlor of tomorrow will be a shining example of sustainability and common sense – one anchovy at a time.

[celesthar]

January 29, 2023

To: Philippine National Police

From: Ms. Celesthar Villanueva Nosotros

121 E Oyo Torong Street Poblacion,

Kalibo, Aklan, 5600

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology major in Architectural Drafting College Graduate

SMART cellphone number: 09298300418

E-mail: celesthar@yahoo.com.ph

and/or

celesthar@gmail.com

My latest photo:

Re: 1. Unproffesionalism of the Police Officers in Aklan;

Re: 2. Blotter to all the people whose names are JOHN VINCENT AQUINO IV; KINJO AND IRAH MELGAREJO NOSOTROS; ALEXANDER VIRAY NOSOTROS AND GRACE REONTOY VILLANUEVA.;

Re: 3. PHYSICAL INJURY and RAPE by the following persons to me:

ALEXANDER VIRAY NOSOTROS, GRACE REONTOY VILLANUEVA, KINJO AND IRAH MELGAREJO NOSOTROS, AND JOHN VINCENT "JAYVEE" AQUINO (according to Mr. Jaime Macapar Valeriano III, my former High School classmate, that John Vincent Aquino is the IV);

Re: 4. Requesting for protection in your office for me and my territory, where I live. A security guard that is looking for a job will do. Or a police officer of yours here in Aklan that is tamad can be.

Re: 5. Kalibo Municipal Police Station

MY BLOTTER ENTRY:

This is also posted in my Facebook account and diaries online.

JOHN VINCENT AQUINO (JAYVEE), YOUR SHAMEFUL NEIGHBOR IN OYO TORONG ST., POBLACION KALIBO, AKLAN.

VENADOR MALACAS IN HEAVEN WILL KILL YOU!!!. JAYVEE!!!.

After I always save Jayvee's sake from her stupid evil insecure wife. He became evil to me by helping my war freak parents named ALEXANDER VILLANUEVA NOSOTROS (my father), GRACE REONTOY VILLANUEVA (my mother), and KINJO NOSOTROS (my 1st brother) together with his wife IRAH CRISTA MELGAREJO.

Did someone pay Jayvee?.

Already past 12pm and I haven't eaten lunch. My father arrived maybe at 1pm. He asked me if how much is his payment for the goods (beverages) for the sampid in the house who are KINJO and IRAH that I let pautang and as he said that he is the one who will pay me. How dare my father boast that he can pay his debts whatever the price may and that he is quarreling to me of his payment. He his so tanga to let the sampid live under my roof. He decided not to pay me. I scolded all my hates to him, and my mother's sins and his sins to me. After the useless blabberring of his mouth, he decided to pay me.

They argued with me like they see me as a kid. They look crazy and belong to the mental hospital. So does Kinjo and Irah. Ew!. My mother tell lies entering me and my father's conversation. I so hated her and she just lingo-lingo her head when she tell lies. Their faults to me should have turned to an end to their death. But they defended theirselves. I was about wanting to kill my mother 'who was here'. Because she always makes me the bad person here. She said she's not afraid to die. Time came to fight for my right because I grew up with armed soldiers neighbors when I was a baby. My parents leaves me whenever the prosthetics users of Kalibo Municipal Police Station go here. So I give my mother a taste of a axe I'm holding to slice her. But they grabbed me and tie my feet and hands. I got bruises and wounds. (See photo) I got hurt when Kinjo called Jayvee to help them tie me. Jayvee pulled me out the door of my house, he opened my dress and made my legs show off. (He don't know that I am not a shy type of person. I consider what they did to me is rape.) I asked Jayvee for help. But he did not help me. I just said to Jayvee:

"Venador in heaven will kill you."

Then Jayvee dragged me and he dropped me on the ground and my back was hurt. Jayvee helped them to tie me. They asked Jayvee to call the police. I was should be laughing at them if I was not physically hurt when they call for the police. They are so insane.

I was talking to my father, blaming everything that was not my faults. Again and again. And wanting him to remember me who I am because Marvin Frog and all frogs, and the Kalibo Municipal Police Station poisoned his mind too. He always says wrong answers. I played to his head to know who he is. What they are doing to me is evil. He still stand for Kinjo who came from the jail because of illegal drugs, as said by Monica Frog but my father who was here was not listening to me. He continue tying my arms. I told them to kneel to me so I can forgive them. I started joking him and deal to me or him, to or if both of us will kneel. But he was so insane. I can't believe that he is my father. I started kneeling to him but he was listening somewhere, and just looking somewhere. I showed him my boobs that was revealed because of them dragging me. And he really likes looking at my boobs.

As Jayvee was assigned calling the police, I started thinking of requesting them to bring with the police, the media of any tv network, Aklan Cable TV can do. But they were not reacting. I know the Jayvee is not fake, not a prosthetics. And for the win, I say, they became calm. They don't know that I am an artist and wants to have a presscon.

I was sitting on a chair in the kitchen while my arms are still tied. I was happy when the police came. Three police officers who did not even introduce theirselves and show their IDs to me. And that was not to be happy. So shameful policemen that I am the one who introduced myself to them. When I told the police to come in. My stupid father who was holding me, let go of me and leave me to the policeman who talked to me. Later my father, mother and Kinjo, they just go outside for their great shame talking to the neighbors. They leave me and one police officer with me?.

(Questionable right?!.)

I asked the policeman who was talking to me if he is a barangay tanod. Because he holds a stick that I know is used by a barangay tanod although he is wearing a police uniform. Still, I don't believe him. But as I said, I am honest even if they are fake or wearing prosthetics. And I started telling him what they did to me. I hated the police of being deaf, he do not want to listen to me. I requested to him the media, he thought of picture taking because I said camera so I tell him what I mean is be on television live broadcasting. I don't like the attitude of the policeman who talked to me. He was really deaf to me. He does not care justice for me. I believe he was assigned at Kalibo Municipal Police Station. I already saw him there before. Sitting on the chair for blotter. I hated him for not doing his job right. He wanted to separate our conversation, and their conversation of my parents. But he does not want to invite me. And that I think is not right. He goes outside to them and leave me here. He does not even have a nametag.

Why did the policeman go outside?.

Did he heard Marvin Frog in his bluetooth microphone headset for some cash to betray me?.

I told the policeman who talked to me to rip my parents if they are fake, wearing prosthetics. Because my father went to an operation, surgery before cause of glaucoma in the eyes. I pointed to him that my father's eyes who was with us is not dark but gray.

He leaved me without giving me justice and said that, if I will be violent again I will go to the police?. "THE POLICE?" Funny. I have said to the policeman that his dreams to this crime will not happen. I am always the winner because they are useless.

The two policeman who was with him were just chatting to each other. And the one is also just looking and listening. And hence that they are three policeman here who I believe that were fake, they can be Marvin Frog, Monica Frog, and Maria Frog, the insane elves of the Kalibo Municipal Police Station. Always three people.

I find comfort to 'te Beth when she dropped by to buy rice, she's my neighbor and tell her the crimes done to me today. He even asked me about Wilson Condez, the man I want to promise forever. I said to her that after what happened to us, he replaced me to a bulok na klaseng babae. But he is still the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. So I'm not gonna marry any one.

They just dedma me here, blabbering. I was happy that Irah answered me when she came back. I asked her if what are they doing here. She said that they will get things, their things should she have said. And I said that I'm glad that they thought of it. And I saw them going out of the house with their so-called things. I am still waiting for my parents to go too. Why are they still here?. I will respect my little brother, Aguilao, his decision.

Philippine National Police, I am expecting a reply from you. Call, text, or e-mail is fine too, I will wait weekly till monthly. You give me justice. ASAP. Aklan Province is injustice that people like me here don't even need a lawyer and useless hudas police officers of the Kalibo Municipal Police Station here do not pay there sins to the world.

Thank you.

-Ms. Celesthar Villanueva Nosotros

References about me:

1. Office of the Brgy Hall of Poblacion, Kalibo, Aklan, call and look for Marivic Nolada; and

2. Other Police Stations except the Kalibo Municipal Police Station.

3. Read my Journals, Diaries and Timeline at:

a. celesthar.deviantart.com

b. twitter.com/celesthar

c. tumblr.com/celesthar

d. facebook.com/celestharvillanuevanosotros

The photos attached:

1. Is John Vincent "Jayvee" Aquino IV with his baby and the boarding house of his wife's sister where they live like sampid.

2. My photos of wounds and bruises from what they did to me.

Continuation: